


The Nightmare

by Autobot2001



Category: Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Super, Dragonball Super, Transformers (Bay Movies), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Depression, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fear, Friendship, Gen, Holoforms (Transformers), Hurt/Comfort, Medical, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:29:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 46
Words: 111,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25120912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Autobot2001/pseuds/Autobot2001
Summary: It's been two years since the battle in China with KSI drones. Jamie returns to Cade's dimension to take a break from all the action and spend time with the Autobots. Though Cade is living in a junkyard, hiding from the government and there's not much to do in a junkyard.Jamie's friends, Jayce and J.R. accompany her. Though like Crosshairs, J.R. finds the junkyard boring. Aside from hearing those two complain, Jamie is enjoying her time with her friends until one night, her enemy, Jadin, attacks and kidnaps her. The Autobots, Cade, Jayce, and J.R. rush to locate where Jadin is heading. Unfortunately, she's far from the junkyard. They know Jadin is here to kill Jamie, and there's an easy way to accomplish that. The Autobots and friends get to Jamie, but she is clinging to life.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	1. A Peaceful Day

Early morning, we can see three figures in the sky. They appear to be fighting, but they’re just training. A two on one sparring match. The smallest of the three against the other two. Jamie may be short, standing at 4" 7’. She looks like a child, but this girl is strong. The twenty-three-year-old has been fighting across several dimensions for sixteen years. Jamie's style is spiky black hair, a red gi with a blue belt and wrist bands, and black calf-high boots. She wears a thin black cloak that ends at the ankles. Her smile and blue eyes say she’s very kind, but she’s a fierce fighter.  
“Come on, give me all you got!”  
The other two figures come at Jamie at full speed, both attacking. It’s no problem for Jamie, but are the other two holding back their strength?  
“Come on, I know you’re both stronger than that,” she was getting annoyed they are holding back.  
So what if this is just sparring, give me all you got.  
They did, and it was the challenge Jamie wanted, the training she wanted. The training continued for a half-hour before they took a break. They descended back to the ground, each grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge of a trailer and sat in a rusted car.  
“Why are we even here in this dimension?” J.R asked. The twenty-five-year-old martial arts fighter is used to action. She wears a black sleeveless ninja outfit, a shinobi shozoku with black wristbands, and calf-high boots. The black-haired, green-eyed warrior is kind most of the time, but she can have a temper. Her full first name is Jerico Ryzumi. She shortened it to J.R but really won’t be bothered if you call her Jerico Ryzumi.  
“There won’t be action twenty-four/ seven, and you didn’t have to come. I’d like to spend time with friends in other ways besides fighting,” Jamie explained, annoyed.  
“It is boring here. Just rusting away,” a green and black armored, trench coat wearing paratrooper with a silver face and chest commented as he walked towards them.  
“Seriously, Crosshairs?” Jayce is disgusted with him.  
“What am I supposed to do here besides rust away?”  
“Let’s go, girls. Time for power training.”  
The way Crosshairs was thinking disguised Jayce.  
“What the hell was that about?” Crosshairs wondered as he watched the girls as they walked to a cleared area of the junkyard. He sat on a rusted car and watched them, but focused on Jamie.  
“.....Super Saiyan blue,” Jamie said and powered up. Her hair turned cyan, and an electric blue aura surrounding her. Jayce smiled, proud of her friend breaking the power limit barrier set by illness, but there’s always the worry that she’s pushing too hard. She’s grateful for all that Bulma and the Autobots have done so Jamie can fight, so she doesn’t always need a friend with her. However, Jamie often partners with a friend. Jayce would love to hear that Jamie can be cured, all her friends would like that, but so far, that seems impossible. It doesn’t bother Jamie as much after fourteen years of dealing with it.  
“Jayce, look out!!!” J.R. yelled as an energy blast hit her, causing her to fall to the ground. “Good thing we’re not in the air,” J.R. extended a hand to help her up, “you wanted us to continue training, but you just stand here. What’s up?”  
“Lost in thought. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of watching Jamie. “  
“Yeah, I can’t believe how far she’s improved when it seemed she was constrained. Let’s get back to training.”  
J.R. elbowed Jayce’s arm. The girls continued firing energy blasts at each other, which turned into a fire and dodge drill. Not what Jayce had in mind, but any training is good.

Several hours later, it’s now dusk. After a few hours of rest, J.R is ready for more training. Like Crosshairs, J.R. is thinking what else she can do? She can’t spar with an eighteen-foot Autobot, and her friends are done for the day, so here she is solo training. Jayce and Jamie are on their laptops. Jamie is playing a game or working on one of her many projects. It’s not all fun and games being able to travel to different dimensions.  
“What are you doing?” Crosshairs asked from behind, startling Jayce.  
“Dang it, Crosshairs, you’re lucky I didn’t delete this”  
“What’s so important about...,” he looked at the screen and noticed it was a log of Jamie’s illness. This wasn’t just a description of Jamie’s illness, but logs from every flare-up, every detail noted. Could this be useful in finding a cure? Not likely, but this was important, for any friend to know. It’s like how a team of doctors communicate about patient care, “is something wrong?” He knelt beside her.  
“No, I’m just amazed how far Jamie has come from coming close to death fourteen years ago.”  
Though Crosshairs has known Jamie for only four years, He knows what happened. Not just by reading the records, but also watching video records and Jamie’s fights himself. He watched Jamie turn Super Saiyan blue for the first time. He loved how Jamie made it so any friend in any dimension could watch her adventures. No, it’s spying. It’s not a camera spying on her 24/7. This micro camera is turned on during adventures if the girls want to share their adventures or if Jamie wants to share what she’s up to in her dimension. Think of it as live streaming, and it’s saved. This was Jamie’s idea though she thought it wouldn’t last long.  
“I still can’t believe she’s friends with that bastard.”  
“You haven’t read that file, have you? Vegeta regretted what he did as soon as he did it. How else do you think Jamie survived? Neither J.R nor I met Jamie when that happened. Fourteen years later and he hasn’t tried again. I think he feels the most pain watching Jamie fight a flare-up. He saved her once with a blood transfusion, and I guess you could say he gave her powers like Super Saiyan. An unusual outcome, but I’ll take it. Any help to keep the adventure going for Jamie. She’s happier visiting other dimensions than being in her own. You know that. “  
Crosshairs stood up and looked at Jamie. He smiled, knowing how happy Jamie was with her crazy life.  
Drift walks over to them. “What’s the problem?” The red and black Autobot resembling a samurai asked.  
“Did you know Jamie is still friends with the bastard that tried to kill her?” Crosshairs asked, Still in an angry tone as he stood up.  
“He skipped some files and only read the most important ones. Though I think how Jamie ended up with the illness is important,” Jayce raved before Drift could answer Crosshairs’ question.  
“Yes I knew, you didn’t?” Drift asked, shocked.  
“I’m wondering if he knows the vital info. What else did you skip reading?” Jayce questioned, “Not much of a guardian if you skip the important info. “  
“I read what I needed to read. I know what I need to do.”  
“Doesn’t sound like it, Crosshairs. Let me tell you if Optimus assigned you to be Jamie’s guardian, I’d be very concerned. Glad we don’t need to do that,” she started yelling, “at least I know Jamie will be ok knowing she also chose Drift, he cares and read everything!!”  
“A friend would get to know everything they could, Jayce, not just about Jamie’s illness,” Drift commented, “Isn’t that what you and J.R did before deciding to be a team?”  
“Yes, and Crosshairs doesn’t care,” she closed the laptop, picked it up, and walked away, angry.  
Crosshairs doesn’t seem to care about Jamie. Does he even consider Jamie a friend or just another human to protect? She wondered.  
Crosshairs didn’t know what to say as he watched Jayce walk away. He wasn’t angry that Jayce now thinks he really isn’t Jamie’s friend or even cares about her. He wasn’t sure how he could show her she’s wrong that she’d see he means it.  
As the sun sets, Drift and Jamie are meditating. Jayce and J.R find it boring, but they don’t work as hard as Jamie. Jayce thinks Jamie’s only meditating because Drift is doing it. Though, she wonders if meditation is helping Jamie achieve more with her power. J.R is once again training.  
“Is that all you will do?” A tall, robust man with dark brown medium length wavy hair in a messy style asked. He was much older than the girls. His hazel eyes were looking at J.R. in disgust as he walked over to her.  
“What do you want me to do, Cade? Crosshairs is right; this place is boring.”  
“And I’m sure Jamie said you could leave. Not much happens here. I’m hiding from the government. You want the government to find us?” He was getting annoyed and yelling loud enough that Drift and Jamie heard him. They stood up, and Jamie walked up to her.  
“We already deal with Crosshairs’ complaining-.”  
“Hey!” Crosshairs exclaimed.  
“We don’t need to deal with your complaining. Go ahead, go back to your dimension.”  
Jamie knew J.R wouldn’t, but she was tired of the complaining like J.R had to come. J R shoved Jamie to the ground, and the two started fighting, punching each other in the forearms while rolling around. Cade just watched, surprised. Who would have thought any of the girls would fight each other? Jayce sighed, watching the two fight.  
“Enough!” Drift scooped Jamie up and walked away. J.R. got up and walked in the opposite direction.  
“This isn’t new. Jamie and J.R. clash a lot but not enough to ruin their friendship,” Jayce explained.  
“A lot?” Cade was puzzled. How can these two be friends but fight often?  
“It’s not that often, Cade, though I think part of it is J.R.’s anger. I know she’s like the rest of us; she would protect Jamie or any of us,” she explained as she looked around, seeing J.R take out her anger on a rusted car. Most likely, Drift is telling Jamie something like it’s not good for friends to fight.  
Feeling like he got the gist of what the hell just happened, Cade climbed a ladder to the roof of a building used for storage. A mostly yellow Autobot was already sitting on the roof.  
“Hound pull up the sat phone,” Cade asked an Autobot who looks like Santa Claus if Santa was in the army wearing khaki-colored armor with a lot of guns.  
“You got it,” he replied and set up a secure line for Cade, or was it?

Somewhere, someone stared at a screen showing the junkyard’s location.  
“At last, I found you,” they smiled evilly.


	2. Under Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Autobots and humans enjoy hearing about Jamie, Jayce, and J.R's adventures around a fire until a missile hits the property twenty feet away from them. They watched a ship land and prepared for a fight. Five robots walk out and separate the Autobots, Cade, Jayce, and J.R. Jamie realizes who's attacking them and why they're here. Jadin lets Jamie fight her for ten minutes, enough to keep the pothers busy, before shocking her unconscious and taking her back to her ship. As the ship takes off, Crosshairs prepares to shoot it down, but Drift stops him; the chance that Crosshairs could kill both girls is high. As Jadin flies back to her hideout, she decides she should have one last fight with Jamie, to make Jamie exhausted and weaker. Jamie's death would be guarantee and come quicker. Back at the junkyard, everyone is frustrated how hard it is to find where Jadin is but not as frustrated as Crosshairs and Drift.

“Someday, we can be together again, I hope,” Cade sighed and watched the sunset, thinking while he ever see his daughter, Tessa, again?  
A half-hour later, all the humans are sitting in chairs around a lit fire pit. Bumblebee and Crosshairs are lying on cars while Drift and Hound sat on cars. The girls are talking about the adventures they’ve been on since they were here last. Cade and the Autobots enjoyed listening to the stories. This goes on for twenty minutes until they’re interrupted by a missile from out of nowhere. The missile hit twenty feet from where they were.  
“What the hell was that?!” Crosshairs exclaimed.  
“Look over there,” Cade pointed in front of him. A small ship was landing. The Autobots readied their weapons. Drift has two swords, Crosshairs has two guns, Bumblebee had a gun and who knows how many guns Hound has. Cade grabs a gun. The girls are ready for either a fistfight or a fight involving their powers.

They watched the ship land. The door opened, and seven black robots that look to be no taller than 5 feet with four legs and guns as arms walked out. The Autobots and humans attacked. The robots scattered to separate everyone. Everyone but Jamie has a robot to fight. She knew whoever was in the ship, whoever sent the robots to distract the others, wanted her, but who? She stared at the ship, waiting, ready to fight. A figure started walking out. Jamie was shocked at who it was. Oh shit, she thought. She wasn’t afraid, but this wasn’t good. Jamie saw a female dressed in black. She was smiling as she walked to Jamie. Jamie wasn’t afraid at all. She was ready to fight.

“Well, Jamie, you know why I’m here,” the woman said.  
“You think I’m scared of you, Jadin? Never!” Jamie ran towards her, Jadin was ready. She planned to fight just long enough to make sure the others weren’t paying attention to what was going on. The two girls threw punches at each other. These were hard punches to every part of the body except the head. While Jamie was punching to knock Jadin down, Jadin was punching hard enough to make it look like she came for a fight and nothing more. Still, she also had to be careful not to keep the fight going long enough that the others defeated her minions and came to Jamie’s aide. Jadin knew they’d help no matter how much Jamie didn’t want it, and that isn’t part of the plan. She also had to end the fight before Jamie resorted to her powers. Jadin found it odd Jamie didn’t start the fight using her powers.

They both tried to get the other to fall. The repetitive punch and dodge fight lasted ten minutes. They were both used to long, intense fights.  
All right, that’s enough. Those mindless bots can’t keep the idiots busy for long. Jadin extended her right leg to trip Jamie, and Jamie falls. Before Jamie could get up, she grabs Jamie’s chest and picks her up.  
“I win,” she pulls out a device, points it to Jamie’s chest, and presses a button. The device shocks Jamie, and she loses consciousness. Crosshairs notices as he’s fighting.  
“Jamie, no!!” He yells as he shots and finally destroys the robot. He runs towards Jamie. The others hear him and stop fighting, including the robots. Drift runs towards Jamie.  
“This isn’t good,” Jayce watches what’s going on with concern.  
“You think!!” Cade yells as he watches what’s happening.  
Does he know the danger Janie is in? Jayce wondered, not exactly sure if should she think Cade doesn’t know or he knows how serious this is and thinks Jayce doesn’t?

Jadin pulled out a remote to order the robots back to the ship. She flies back to it with her prize in hand, smiling. With the robots back in the ship, the ship takes off. Crosshairs and Drift are too late.  
“No!!!” Crosshairs yells. He pulls out a gun and starts firing at the ship.  
“Stop!” Drift yells and pushes Crosshairs’ arm down, “there’s no guarantee they’ll survive when the ship goes down.” Everyone watches the ship as it disappeared. Jadin is watching them watch her depart with an evil smile feeling she’s won.  
No way they can find me with the lack of resources. The only way they can find us will be taken care of.  
“How the hell did the bastard find us anyway?” J.R asked.  
“My fault, the line must not have been secure enough.” It disappointed Hound that he failed to protect everyone.  
“Not exactly, Hound,” Jayce assures Hound.  
“Enough talking, that bastard has Jamie!!!” Crosshairs fumed.  
“You don’t know Jadin. She most likely has a plan knowing we’ll be aiming to find her.”  
“We don’t even know where the ship is going,” Drift stressed.  
“No way to find out either,” Cade commented, concerned.  
Do they even know how bad this is? Crosshairs thought, feeling he let Jamie down. Drift also felt he let Jamie down. The others felt worried, and they all feared what Jadin had in store for their friend.

Looking at Jamie, knocked out on the ship’s floor, Jadin had a change of plans.  
One last fight and the injuries should speed up her death. Yes, one last battle with Jamie using all her strength and power is a brilliant idea. I doubt the idiots will find me, but they’ll have a challenge keeping Jamie alive if they find her.

Everyone was quiet, thinking, how can they find Jadin? What would the plan be when they find where she is? Drift and Crosshairs more focused on how they let Jamie down than a plan.  
“Oh, duh!” Jayce exclaimed after several minutes of silence. She grabs Jamie’s backpack from Cade’s trailer.  
“You think there’s something in there that can help us?” Crosshairs questions as Jayce walks out with the bag.  
“Yes, there is,” Jayce replies, pulling out one of the boxes Jamie has, “I forgot Bulma made this set of capsules. A simple way to keep track of every piece of equipment needed. I forget she also designed a tracking program for me.”  
“Why the hell would she do that?”  
“Isn’t it obvious? To be prepared. Sure this could be the only time I use this, but who knows? It s this or a full tracker on Jamie and not just for emergencies-“  
“Sounds like a good idea.”  
“No, that’s not what I meant. Think about it, J.R. Now let’s see what we can find.”  
Jayce pulled out a USB drive, grabbed her computer, and sat in the ground. She turned on the laptop and plugged in the USB drive. While doing this, she was unaware everyone else has gathered around her. “Let’s see what we can do with this”  
“How are you going to find them sitting here?” Crosshairs asked, still annoyed they haven’t made a plan. Once again, he startled Jayce.  
“seriously, Crosshairs, stop doing that!” She yelled, then realized everyone was waiting to see what she finds, “Ok, let’s see what we have here. Wow, Bulma, you thought of everything. I can see what aircraft have been around here, even with no information on the ship. Just got to get into the aviation system.”  
“But it’s a ship. “J.R commented.  
“It’s an aircraft, so it’s trackable.”  
“So can this computer.” Cade pointed out.  
“It’s fine, Cade. Let’s see, type in the genital area, and time. There.” They saw one aircraft flew around her within the last 3 hours. That was Jadin’s ship, “now to track it. Unfortunately, I can’t do anything to figure out where she’s flying to.”  
“So, we just watch and wait for the ship to land?” Crosshairs asked angrily and walked away. Drift followed, feeling the need to talk to Crosshairs but also not pleased with the fact there’s nothing they can do but wait.

Crosshairs took his anger and frustration out on a 50-foot metal fence. He was firing both his guns at the fence.  
“Crosshairs-" Drift watched his friend fire at the fence.  
“How can you just wait and do nothing!” He was yelling at Drift more than asking him, “she trusted us, and we let her down,” he was up in Drift’s face now.  
The samurai took a step back, “I hate that we can’t do anything but wait. I hate that I let her down. I hate thinking what Jadin has planned, but there’s nothing we can do until we find the ship.”  
“We should have followed the ship!”  
“The two of us against those robots and who the hell knows what else wouldn’t do Jamie any good.”  
As much as he knew Drift was right, Crosshairs hated that Drift was right.


	3. Slowly Dying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jamie wakes up on a metal table able to move. Jamie provokes Jadin to fight her. Jadin accepts the challenge; pleased Jamie is unaware this is part of Jadin's plan to kill her.  
> Meanwhile, Jayce finally locates where Jadin's hideout is. The discovery isn't exactly good news since Jadin's hideout is far from the junkyard, and Jayce's ship isn't as fast as Jadin's. Everyone is afraid of what Jadin had in store for Jamie and what they'll find once they get to Jamie. Jamie puts up a good fight but ends up exhausted. Jadin can proceed with her original plan, injecting a chemical that will kill Jamie. Jadin enjoys watching Jamie in pain until Jamie becomes too weak to fight off the chemical.

Jamie wakes up on a cold, hard metal table. Jadin was staring at her. Jamie realized she could move.  
“Surprised you’re able to punch me right now?” Jadin goaded, trying to get Jamie to punch her, and it worked. The punch had such force that Jadin took a few steps back before dropping to the ground, “bring it on. I’ll let this continue for as long as we can.” She said, smiling. She could tell Jamie was too angry to even think about what Jadin could have done while she was knocked out.  
Perfect, Jamie will use all her power, burning through her energy, then I’ll continue with the original plan.  
Jamie turned Super Saiyan. Her hair turning golden yellow and a golden yellow aura surrounded her. She jumped off the table and charged at Jadin. She got another good punch, and Jadin fell to the ground.  
“How long are you just going to let me punch you? FIGHT BACK!!!” She waited for Jadin to get up.  
“Fine.”  
Instead of a punch, Jadin shot her with an energy blast, hitting Jamie, sending her through the door, hitting the wall before falling to the floor.  
“That’s better,” she said as she got up. She fired an energy blast. They were still holding back, but the energy blasts delivered more damage than punching and consumed more energy to create and deliver the blast.  
“Are you unaware of what I’m doing?” Jadin yelled as the two continued fighting, “no one will find us.”  
“No one needs to. I’ll finish you.”  
You think so? Oh, this will be fun. Just need to make you burn your energy, then I’ll continue my plan. I removed the monitor chip, idiot, but if I kept the throat incision open, you’d get weaker faster, you’d bleed to death. What’s the fun in that?  
Jadin smiled again as she continued to fight. After a few minutes, Jamie powers up. Jadin hasn’t seen Super Saiyan blue. This made her angry.  
“You bastard!!’ She grabbed Jamie’s wrist, “keeping your leading position by continuing to get stronger. You piece of shit, I’m the oldest. I should have been the leader!” She was yelling in Jamie’s face.  
“You still haven’t figured it out. We didn’t decide who should be the leader based on age or power level. There are qualities of a leader, plus you don’t understand what being a leader is. They don’t just command.”  
Jadin was getting furious, squeezing Jamie’s wrist as Jamie yelled in pain.  
“Weak, a genuine leader could handle pain,” she said as she tossed Jamie to the floor. 

“There, I got it!” Jayce burst out. Though her tone might not match the situation, it was a relief to hear she find where Jamie is, but there were several problems. Everyone gathered around her.  
“That far away? How fucking fast is the ship?” J.R was expecting a distance of fifty miles tops.  
“It’s a small enough ship to have great speed even in Earth’s atmosphere. This leads to the problem, or second, if you count the distance, my ship is too slow in Earth’s atmosphere.”  
“How slow?” Drift quavered. Bad enough, they waited an hour to find out where the hideout was.  
“One-hundred-thirty-five miles per hour. It’s not as small as Jadin’s,” Jayce sighed, “Jadin’s small ship has a speed of two-hundred-seventy-five miles per hour.”  
“How do you know?” J.R. asked.  
“Because she landed twenty minutes ago.”  
“So What’s with the twenty-minute delay in telling us all this?”  
“I wanted to figure out how long it would take us.”  
“Almost two and a half hours,” Cade jumped in. Jayce nodded.  
“Plenty of time for that bastard to kill Jamie,” Crosshairs is getting angrier.  
“You wouldn’t have been able to keep up with the ship even if you followed the ship right as it departed. Even if you can drive at two-hundred-seventy-five miles per hour, you’d have traffic to deal with,” Jayce informed him.  
“Wouldn’t be a problem if-.” J.R started.  
“Shut it, J.R!” Jayce demanded. She needs to talk with J.R but not now.  
‘All right, So what’s the plan?” Cade asked, hoping to keep the girls from fighting.  
“Get Jamie’s backpack, make sure the box of capsules needed is in there,” she instructed J.R., “we’ll take my ship to the location and find Jadin’s hideout. Then we’ll split into teams. One team to find Jamie, the other to find Jadin. “  
“Wait, find?” Hound asks.  
“Yes, I have the general location, Monument Valley, but I suspect Jadin’s hideout is hidden in a rock formation there.”  
“No time to - figure that out now,” Bumblebee said something once, but he spoke using audio clips.  
“Let’s go!” Drift felt relief knowing they found the general area where Jamie is, but still, that wasn’t good enough.

Jayce tossed a capsule, and it opened, revealing her ship. It looked almost like a C-5m super galaxy military aircraft with some modifications for space travel. J.R grabbed Jamie’s backpack, making sure all they needed was in there even if they had to wait to get back to use it.

The fighting has been going on for forty minutes, across most of Jadin’s hideout. Jamie felt herself getting tired. She couldn’t fight in Super Saiyan blue this long, not like Goku and Vegeta could. The girls used their most powerful attacks on each other for most of the fight. By now, the fight returned to exchanging simple energy blasts, but Jamie couldn’t fight them off. She would fall to the ground and get back up.  
Excellent, Now’s the time to finish the plan. Jadin knocked Jamie down one last time. She grabbed her and carried her to a room supposed to be a medical bay, but this is Jadin’s hideout, so it’s more like a death bay. Jamie was too weak to fight and having a hard time staying awake. Jadin tossed Jamie onto the metal table, Jamie yelped.  
“Now, the last step: the chemical. You can’t fight it off for long, and if Those idiots you call friends find us, it’ll be too late. You’ll be too weak for them to help you.”  
Jamie couldn’t do anything while Jadin injected sizeable amounts of the chemical since she was shackled to the table.  
“They’ll find us; they’ll defeat you,” Jamie spoke, lethargically. Nothing about saving her. Jadin smiled at the fact Jamie even believes this is the end. 

“J.R, we need to talk,” Jayce sits next to J.R. Jayce trusted Cade to pilot the ship plus he wanted to. The Autobots sat on the floor. Crosshairs and Drift are talking most likely about Jamie. A plan? Maybe. Hound and Bee are possibly listening or just waiting for everyone to gather and talk about a plan.   
“About?” She asked.  
“You, thinking Jamie needs a full-time GPS as part of the monitor chip.”  
“It’s better. We wouldn’t have waited for almost ninety minutes. What good is the emergency GPS setting if the chip is ripped out?”  
“How many times has this happened? Even without Jadin being the cause?”  
Silence, either it happened a long time ago that J.R forgot or this was the first time.  
“Everything is.....mostly taken care of. We can’t make the system we have in place perfect. There are too many varying factors, but what we have works even if Jamie goes solo or ends up separated from any of us. We don’t need to worry as much,”  
“Fine,” J.R. sighed.  
“We’re about twenty minutes from the location. We need to plan,” Cade informed the two girls, “don’t worry, I have autopilot on.”   
They walked to where the Autobots sat to avoid messing up the weight distribution.  
“We’re twenty minutes out,” He repeated for the Autobots, “what’s the plan?” He asked, looking at Jayce.  
“We kick ass and get Jamie, simple as that,” Crosshairs’ tone suggesting he’s treating this as a revenge mission.  
“Almost that simple,” J.R Replied, “you forget those robots. I suspect they are like guards.”   
“Bumblebee, Cade, and Hound can take care of them. Crosshairs and Drift will need to fight of Jadin. J.R and I will get Jamie.”

Jamie tried fighting off the effects of the chemical injections and the unusual pain it was causing. She couldn’t lay still, but moving seemed to make it worse. The sound of Jamie in pain was music to Jadin’s ears.  
How strange, this will be a slow and painful death. I think I’ll like this more.  
It didn’t take long before breathing was labored, taking in shallow breaths. Jadin just smiled as Jamie was slowly losing consciousness, still trying to fight it off, but that just made things worse. Jamie gives in and is now unconscious, causing shallow breathing. Jadin knew Jamie was still alive, but it’s only a matter of time before she’s dead, even if it took several hours, Jadin would take it.  
One of the robot guards came in and showed Jadin a security video.  
“So, they have found me.” She gave orders to the robot before preparing for a fight.


	4. Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Autobots, Jayce, and J.R. find Jadin's hideout and splits into two teams to find Jamie. Jadin sends her minion robots to distract Bumblebee, Cade, and Hound. J.R. and Jadin fight as Crosshairs and Drift watch Jayce prepare Jamie for the trip back to the junkyard. When she's ready, she contacts the others to meet at her location. Cade can't believe what he's seeing when he, Bumblebee, and Hound gets to the girls, Crosshairs, and Drift.

“So, have you figured out exactly where the hideout is?” J.R asked.  
“No,” Jayce replied, “and this area is massive.”  
“Great so-.” J.R was interrupted by the ship being shot at,  
“I think we found them,” J.R commented.  
“You think?” Jayce moved to the cockpit. She focused more on preventing a crash landing than firing back, “J.R activate the ship’s weapons!”  
“We will we found them,” J.R knew Jayce was in no mood for joking. Before J.R could even activate the ship’s guns, the ship’s engines were hit.  
“Let’s get off before we crash!” Hound yelled. Bee, Crosshairs, and Drift grabbed a human, and the Autobots jumped off the ship. It wasn’t a terrible landing, but it wasn’t the softest.  
“Shit, the ship. Now how are we going to get back?” J.R complained.  
“That wasn’t my only ship plus I have Jamie’s,” Jayce assured J.R.  
These capsules are coming in handy.  
It relieved J.R. to know carrying several ships was possible in this situation.  
“Let’s move,” Drift advised, both because he wants to find Jamie fast and because Jadin is most likely preparing to fire at them again.  
“Those weapons fired from around here,” Hound informed the group.  
“From there,” Cade pointed to the Sentinel Mesa monument.  
“Makes sense, that rock is huge,” J.R. agreed. It didn’t take long before they found the door.  
“Hidden, huh?” Jayce commented, looking at the door. Big enough that the Autobots can go through it without ducking.  
“What the hell?” Cade Exclaimed.  
“Either she’s working with the Decepticons, or she knew Autobots would be coming, but she’s never been to a dimension with Autobots.”  
Jayce was perplexed at this discovery and thinking how the hell did Jadin even find them in this dimension.  
“Everyone knows the plan; let’s go,” Crosshairs insisted they get moving.  
‘Our presence is known, no need to be quiet," Hound said as he was shooting at the door, destroying it.  
The hideout was entirely metal. When the group walked in, they either had to go left or right. Bee, Hound, and Cade went left, and the others went right. Crosshairs and Drift transformed to vehicle mode and insisted the girls ride instead of fly.

Excellent, they split up. No way those bots can help Jamie. Jadin watched as the group went their separate ways. Now to keep the others busy. She sent an army of robots to keep Bee, Cade, and Hound busy.

“This place is huge,” Cade commented. Bee and Hound have also decided vehicle mode is better. Cade is riding in Bee.  
“One of us will find her, Cade. Doubt Jadin has no plans on relocating,” Hound was just guessing.  
“Shit, the robots,” Cade noticed they were being followed.  
Hound transformed, “Bee go. I’ll get rid of them,” he instructed, pulling out a gun and firing at the robots, “come and get some little bitches!”

Crosshairs and Drift reached a darker area of the hallway. They stopped, the girls stepped out, and the two mechs transformed. The walls and floor were mostly black.  
“What the hell happened here?” Crosshairs asked.  
“Firebending,” Jayce answered, kneeling to feel the burnt floor.  
“The power Jamie seldom uses in a fight,” J.R. informed.  
“And what a fight it was,” Jadin was behind them.  
“You bastard!” Crosshairs was so angry at the sight of Jadin that Drift had to restrain him, “I will kill you,” he yelled, trying to break free from Drift’s grip.  
“Oh please, Jamie couldn’t, what makes you think you can? The fact your eighteen feet tall?” Jadin laughed.  
“Where is she?” Jayce demanded.  
“Down the hall. Don’t worry; she’s alive..barely,” Jadin pointed, smiling.  
“Bastard!” J.R. was ready to fight.  
“You think you can fight me? Jamie couldn’t, even at what I assume is her strongest.”  
That explains everything. Jayce realized how Jamie lost the fight. She was expecting to find the two girls fighting when they got here.  
“We need to go help Jamie,” Drift urged, releasing Crosshairs from his grip, knowing he’s more concerned about Jamie than pissed at Jadin.   
“You three go, This bastard is mine,” J.R. Insisted. She wanted to fight Jadin, not just for what Jadin did today but also for betraying them two years ago.   
“Next time you’re mine bastard,” Crosshairs threatened, pointing to Jadin before following Drift and Jayce down the hall.  
“How could you? How could you betray us and now try to kill Jamie?”

“Die, bitches!!” Hound fires at the robots, but it seemed they wouldn’t die. A gun fired behind Hound. He turned to see who it was, ready to fire at them. It was Bumblebee.  
“Dead end,” Cade informed Hound, holding his Cybertronian gun. “The others will find her.”  
“These things don’t die.” Hound said as the robot he shot got up again.  
“How will it do against three guns” Cade suggested they all fire at one robot. They targeted one. “Now.” They shot it and destroyed the robot, “that’s how we stop them.”

Shock filled Crosshairs, Drift, and Jayce as they saw Jamie on the metal table. They all had to fight back the tears. Jayce pulled out a portable vital signs scanner. Jamie was barely alive.  
“This isn’t good,” Jayce informed them.  
“How bad?” Drift asked.  
“it’s... it’s the worst it’s ever been,” Jayce replied. She let tears roll down her face. Drift knelt down and put a hand on her shoulder.  
“I trust you’ll help her.”  
“That fucking bastard!” Crosshairs ran out of the room.

“You think killing a leader will make you a leader? Do you think no one would fight you for killing a leader? You fucking bastard!!” J.R kept hitting Jadin with energy blasts, but her anger blurred her ability to aim. Jadin as able to dodge no problem.  
“You think you can take me down, your aim is horrible. How are you not dead yet?” Jadin was provoking J.R.  
:: J.R. I need your help.:: Jayce commed her.  
“Well, this was fun. I think my goal will be achieved soon,” Jadin smiled and ran down the hall away from J.R.  
“Coward!!!” J.R. yelled before running to meet Jayce.  
“Don’t bother Crosshairs. That coward ran off,” J.R. informed Crosshairs as the two met up. Crosshairs turned around to head back to the room.  
“What are you going to do?” Drift asked.  
“We need to get her out of here now. I can start most treatment on the way back and then continue at the junkyard.”  
“Then why’d you call me?” J.R. asks as she walks in.  
“Because I need to start the oxygen therapy. I will need Hound to transport her. No way this will work while even an Autobot carries her,” Jayce knew very well how Crosshairs and Drift wanted to help, and well, that’s all they could do to help, but they wouldn’t be helping.  
Really, I just needed to get you to come back to us so we can leave. Jayce thought.  
“Wait..what? Do you even have what you need?” J.R. asked.  
“Do you even pay attention? What do you think the medical kit is? Bulma insisted she create capsules for the equipment we use.”  
“She thinks of this fourteen years later?”  
“Yeah, that I never figured out, but we’ve been...lucky enough not to need a medkit, which is amazing.”  
“Oh yeah, I can think of several times we lucked out.”  
“Die!!” Hound yelled as he, Bee, and Cade fired at a robot. As it when down, the other six retreated, “cowards,” he yelled as they retreated.  
“Something’s up. Why the hell would they retreat?” Cade wondered.  
:: Hound, I need you to get here fast.:: Jayce commed. Bee and Cade also heard Jayce. They heard the urgency in her voice. The Autobots transformed.  
Shit. Cade thought as he got into Bee. The two Autobots drove as fast as they could.  
Crosshairs and Drift hated that all they could do was watch Jayce care for Jamie. They could help if she weren’t as weak as she is and needed to be transported.  
“Oh shit,” Cade said as he stepped out of Bee.


	5. New & Unhealed Emotional Wounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Description: Jayce hands Cade a capsule with a ship and instructs Cade to get it ready while she finishes getting Jamie ready for the trip back to the junkyard. Jayce continues to be amazed by the equipment Bulma has placed in the med kit. Once everyone is on the ship, they take off. Jayce continues to care for Jamie the best she can until they return to the junkyard and she can put Jamie on life support. Cade and drift try to get Jayce to think possitive though they know things aren't looking great. They don't know Jamie is hanging by a thread. Once back at the junkyard; Jayce and J.R. fished what they needed to do to stabilize Jamie. Crosshairs stays away as the others watch. he considers revenge which Drift strongly advises Crosshairs stay at the junkyard. Crosshairs drives off anyway. His brief altercation with Jadin leads to a unpleasant discovery. The Autobots also realize there's emotional wounds they didn't know about as they watch Jayce and J.R. argue over what happened and what could happen.

"Stay in vehicle mode," Jayce instructed Bee and Hound, "Cade, take this capsule. I need you to get the ship ready. I'm almost done here. "  
Saying nothing, Cade took the capsule and got back into Bee. Bee drove off as fast as he could. Jayce opened a capsule with a stretcher.  
Wow, Bulma. Jayce didn't expect to find a stretcher like EMTs use. Jayce lifted Jamie off the metal table, lied her on the stretcher, and buckled the straps. Hound opened the back doors, and the girls put the stretcher in before getting in themselves. Hound closed the door. Crosshairs and Drift Transformed into vehicle mode.  
"Let's go," Jayce said as she found the capsules she needed.  
:: Cade, we're coming out, you're driving.:: Jayce informed Cade as they drove out of the hideout.  
:: I'm ready.::

They left the hideout towards the ship.  
"The same ship? How many of the same ship for you have?" J.R asked.  
"three, or now two of these, and a smaller single-person ship."  
They entered the ship; the Autobots excluding Hound sat on the floor. Hound could position himself so Crosshairs and Drift could watch the girls care for their friend, Bumblebee could if he wanted to. Jayce lowered the stretcher before telling Cade to take off.  
"Remind me to thank Bulma for this kit next time we go to that dimension." Jayce smiled as she pulled out another capsule. Jayce questioned the use of the kit Bulma insisted she make for them, but she was right. This one had supplies needed for respiratory care. J.R. hated seeing Jayce pull out What Jayce needed to intubate Jamie. As Jayce continued to prepare for the procedure, J.R. listened to Jamie's heart and breathing.  
Fuck, she will not last much longer.  
Jayce saw J.R.'s worried expression but said nothing as she worked.  
"Need any help?" Cade asks as Jayce finishes putting the tube in place and setting up the bag valve mask. J.R. hated how much oxygen Jamie needed.  
That can't be right; The most Jamie has needed is seventy-five percent, not ninety percent.  
"Yeah, hold the mask in place while J R squeezes the bag. I need to do an I.V."  
"I assume you put the ship on autopilot?" J.R jested.  
"Glad you can joke right now. Just do what you're supposed to." Jayce comments.  
Silence filled the air for a few minutes.  
"Take a break," Cade suggested when Jayce was finished, "we've got it."  
Jayce nodded and stood up, "here, this is the portable monitor. "  
"I Understand, Jayce, I'll call you if we need you."  
Cade knew this was hitting her just as bad as Crosshairs and Drift. J.R.'s anger seemed to hide how she felt. Cade wasn't sure how Bee and Hound felt, but he'd guess they felt the way he felt; disgusted this even happened and anger that they failed to protect Jamie but not as bad as Crosshairs and Drift.

Jayce stepped off of Hound and walked towards where Crosshairs and Drift sat. She knew they'd want to know what's going on. She leaned against the wall and slid down, sighing. Crosshairs and Drift watched as she slid to the floor. They knew just by watching her how bad Jamie is.  
Jayce couldn't sit for long. She checked on how Cade and J.R. were doing.  
Jayce saw they had everything under control. She headed to the cockpit.  
They were twenty minutes from the junkyard. Jayce would let the autopilot land the ship. She felt she needed to be with Jamie.  
Screw a break, Jamie would never take a break if a friend was injured.  
Jayce went back to the others.  
"We'll be back to the junkyard in twenty minutes." She informed them, she couldn't tell them that Jamie was close to dying.  
"Then?" Drift asked.  
"I will need to put her on the ventilator," Jayce failed to hide how concerned she is.  
"She's a fighter, and I know you'll do everything you can. She'll get through this," Drift comforted Jayce. Drift was right. Jamie has suffered countless flare-ups, including several severe ones, but everyone always had the thought; what if it's too much for Jamie's body?  
"She will, Jayce. I've only known you three for two years, but I've seen how tough she is in battle." Cade added. Crosshairs remained quiet, and he couldn't look at Jamie. Seeing her like this crushed his spark. It amazed him Drift could but saw the pain in Drift's expression.

When they returned to the junkyard, Jayce and J.R worked as fast as they could to get Jamie proper care, Cade helped the best he could, and most of the Autobots watched; Crosshairs stayed way.  
"She'll be ok, Crosshairs," Drift assures as he walks up to the paratrooper.  
"That bastard tried to kill her. You heard Jayce; it's never been this bad," Crosshairs was getting angry, "I will find that bastard and-"  
"No," Drift interrupted, "you should stay here."  
'I can't do anything here. I will not sit around and do nothing knowing that bastard is out there!"  
Before Drift could say anything, Crosshairs Transformed and drove out of the junkyard. Drift watched, disappointed with how Crosshairs wants to deal with this.  
"He's pissed, isn't he?" Hound asked as he walks up to Drift.  
"Yes, he believes revenge is the solution."

Crosshairs had no idea where Jadin was. This drive could just be to blow off steam. He found himself on a road miles from any humans. A ship intercepted him. He transformed as it landed and took out a gun. He knew who it was. The doors opened, and a figure emerged. All Crosshairs saw was a shadow, but he knew.  
"Out for revenge, are we?" The shadow said before it walked into the light, "so, I take it my plan was successful?" Jadin smiled.  
"No, she will survive-. "  
"Oh, and I won't?" Jadin laughed.  
Crosshairs did nothing. He wanted to, but now he felt this was Jamie's fight. He shouldn't do anything unless Jamie wanted him to.  
"Well, I'm sure we'll meet again," Jadin returned to her ship and ascended to the sky. Crosshairs watched but couldn't believe what he's seeing; Jadin is traveling across dimensions.  
"Coward!" He yelled before transforming and heading back to the junkyard.

He found Drift sitting by the entrance of the storage building, meditating, and J.R. sitting on a rusted car nearby. He didn't see the others. He joined J.R.  
"Back so soon?" J.R asked. "Couldn't get your revenge?"  
Crosshairs just sat on a car next to her, quietly expecting Drift to come and lecture him. Drift didn't seem to notice he returned.  
"Oh, there you are," Jayce walked over, "some guardian you are, taking off when the one you're protecting is down," she says as she sits next to him.  
So Jayce will lecture me. It annoyed crosshairs.  
"Going to lecture me? "He asked, annoyed.  
"No, you're great, Crosshairs-."  
"Really? "J.R laughed, "cause you said you were disgusted with him-"  
"Shut it. I was wrong. I know he takes being Jamie's guardian seriously. "  
"I'm still trying to figure how that all works," Cade jumped into the conversation, "The Autobots protect all of us."  
"Yeah, but.." Jayce never had to explain this before.  
"They're Jamie's best friends, and she is with them most of the time, and with the illness, you know. That about right, Jayce?'  
"You forgot some details, but close enough." Jayce wasn't sure how else to explain.  
He'll figure out what you forgot. Jayce thought, smiling.

Crosshairs sat with Drift. He hated seeing Jamie the way she was but started feeling like he needed to be close to her. The building's entrance is as close as he wanted to be.  
"When did you return?" Drift asked. Crosshairs just sighed, Drift said nothing. There was silence for a few minutes.  
"How can you be calm?" Crosshairs broke the silence.  
"Anger solves nothing."  
Drift's response annoyed Crosshairs.

Four days have passed. Crosshairs and Drift spend most of their time sitting in front of the storage building. Drift spends most of the time meditating, and Crosshairs sits on a car, watching Jayce.  
"At least Crosshairs isn't complaining about how bored he is," J.R joked.  
"I think I'd rather hear that all day then see this," Jayce replied.  
J.R looked at the two bots and frowned, "you're right; I think I'd rather hear Crosshairs say he's bored all day."  
"There's nothing I can do. It's just waiting now."  
"Which reminds me, when are you going to put in a new monitor chip?"  
"Not now, she's still too weak."  
"I'm worried, Jayce."  
"It's only been four days. You know a severe flare-up takes days to recover from. Though now that I think about it, it seems like two to three weeks is about right, you know you shouldn't take that as for sure."  
"I just have this feeling that-."  
"Now that's a shitty way of thinking. You know Jamie is a tough fighter." Jayce decided she needed to check on Jamie. She did this at least three times a day. She also had a system to warm her of unwanted changes.

She wasn't surprised to find Crosshairs and Drift were still sitting in front of the storage building several hours later.  
"Guys, take a break. Go for a drive," Jayce urged them.  
"Come with Hound, Bee, and I. We're going to investigate a signal," Cade suggested. Though Jayce wondered if it was an attempt to distract or did Cade get a signal, she was relieved to see the two take a break.  
She held Jamie's hand, "come on, Jamie, the team can't take seeing you like this." Jayce sighed.

A half-hour later, J.R. joins Jayce.  
"How is she?" J.R asks.  
"Doing a little better, heart rate is as it should be "  
Jayce gathered what she needed to draw blood.  
"That's good."  
"It is, but remember, it's the level of the chemical that determines how long recovery will take. The slow heart rate is an effect of the high level."  
"Why are you talking to me like I don't know?"  
"To show you, you have nothing to worry about."  
"Um... you forget setbacks are possible."  
"You can't think positively."  
"I'm sorry, but my friend almost died and still could!"  
"Hey, what's going on?" Cade walks up to the girls, "come on; we don't need this shit. J.R, come with me."

J.R followed Cade as Jayce resumed what she was doing.  
"What's going on?" Cade asked. They were twenty feet from the building. All the Autobots are also around them still in vehicle mode.  
"How can you be so calm? How can any of you be calm?! Jamie came close to dying," J.R. let tears go down her face, "and she still could die. You don't see how this is worse than what's in the records."  
"We all know what can happen, but it does us no good thinking about that. That doesn't help anyone."  
By now, the Autobots transformed.  
"Cade's right," Hound reasoned, looking at Crosshairs, "thinking negative or thinking revenge won't help."  
Crosshairs looked at him in disgust. J.R. had enough of this and walked away.  
"They're both not taking this well," Cade observed.  
"That bastard was their friend. She betrayed them and wants Jamie dead. How else are they supposed to take it?" Crosshairs asked, angry.  
"Not with anger," Drift answered.  
"I take it J.R. is still mad?" Jayce asked.  
"And you?" Cade asked.  
"No, I'm more concerned."  
"J.R. seems to be angry at Jadin for betraying you three, are you?"  
"No, I'm more disappointed. We were a team, and she decided because she's not the leader to betray us and wants Jamie dead. She returned to the storage building.  
"Do you guys know what happened?" Cade asked the Autobots. They all answered no.  
"I think that's something we should wait until they want to talk to us about or show the video records," Drift suggested. The others agreed. They all wanted to help the girls heal, but how could they?


	6. The Pain We Feel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jayce and J.R. hate how Crosshairs and Drift avoid being close to Jamie though they can get closer to her. Jayce suspects they feel guilty about not being able to protect her. J.R. wants to find Jadin and get revenge. Cade asks Jayce to tell him everything about her adventures with Jamie and Jamie's illness. Cade insists she tells the others, which leads J.R. to tell Jayce to show the Autobots and Cade the footage of the fight when Jadin betrayed them and the fight Jadin and Jamie had. The Autobots and Cade couldn't believe what they watched and how just hearing the audio upset Jayce and J.R. Crosshairs and Drift walk away from both angry at what their friends went through and didn't tell them. Hound and Jayce watch the two mechs drive off before Hound asks if Jayce stays with Jamie 24/7 and why she doesn't tell the Autobots how Jamie is doing. Cade joins in the conversation, insisting Jayce at least tells Crosshairs and Drift though she's not sure if it's a good idea.

A temporary new norm settled, and though it included Crosshairs not complaining about how bored he was, the others hated the reason Crosshairs stopped complaining he’s bored. Drift continued to meditate; the only difference was where he meditated. Hound and Bumblebee would join them for two hours. That’s all the sitting and doing nothing they could stand, though who knows what they did the rest of the day if Cade didn’t find an Autobot signal.  
“I wonder why they don’t sit closer; they can fit in the building.”  
“I think they’re guarding. Also, I think they feel guilty and don’t want to see Jamie the way she is,” Jayce sighed, watching the two Autobots. She hated watching them as much as she hated what happened to Jamie.  
“I want to find her,” J.R. says.  
“No, J.R, leave it to Jamie, we’ll be there-.”  
“That fucking bastard tried to kill her!! Why the hell would you say leave it to Jamie to deal with Jadin? “  
“Figure it out.”  
You should know. Jayce thought as she walked away.

Jayce found Cade sitting in a chair next to Jamie.   
“I’m amazed you know all this medical stuff,” he commented.  
“It’s been fourteen years since Vegeta tried to kill her, Cade. Things weren’t this way either.”  
Cade got another chair and placed it next to the one he was sitting in.  
“Care to tell me everything?” He requested. He wanted to know everything from Jayce’s point of view. Jayce could tell this wasn’t Cade saying he needed to be informed, that he didn’t know. Strange, he didn’t insist on having the Autobots join in, but Jayce didn’t bother questioning why Cade just wanted a private talk with her. She just told them everything from her point of view. When she got to the point of Jadin’s betrayal, she fought tears, but by the end, she let them go down her face. Unaware Crosshairs and Drift noticed her crying.  
“What’s wrong?” Drift asked, worried. The two Autobots looked inside the building.  
“I think it’ll be good to tell them, Bee and Hound,” Cad insisted.

Jayce repeated what she told Cade unaware J.R had joined in until she finished.  
“That bastard will pay!” J.R. cursed, “show them the video of the fight.”  
“There’s a reason I left the decision up to Jamie,” she took a moment to think before looking at the Autobots, specifically Crosshairs and Drift, “the reason Jamie doesn’t want to show this is how weak she was. You promise me you won’t think any different afterward.”  
Though the Autobots didn’t know what she meant, they promised.  
Jayce got her laptop and a mini projector. J.R wondered why Jayce has a mini projector but didn’t bother to ask. The Autobots and Cade we’re shocked at what they were watching. The fight between the four girls and others before Jadin betrayed them and the fight between Jamie and Jadin. The amazement at Jamie’s skills with a gun, even though it’s not her weapon of choice, turned into shock at the fight between Jamie and Jadin. How intense it was and how much Jadin was trying to kill Jamie. They got a good idea of how their recent fight transpired. Jayce and J.R didn’t watch, but just hearing what was going on brought back memories.  
“When did this happen?” Cade asked.  
“That’s when it gets tricky. Going by Jamie’s dimension’s time, four months after the seed and KSI shit.”  
The Autobots couldn’t believe what their friends went through and wondered why didn’t they tell them? Maybe they could have helped the three heal. J.R walked away, feeling anger, and done talking about it. Jayce and Cade returned to the storage building.  
“I can’t believe what they went through,” Hound started, sounding angry, disgusted, and shocked, “and they didn’t tell us.”  
“It’s clear why,” Drift pointed out. “Did you not see how hard it was for them to listen to the audio? I doubt they watched the video.”  
“What could we have done if they had told us?” Crosshairs raged.  
“There’s nothing - we can do,” Bumblebee spoke using audio clips.  
“Nothing more than what we’ve been doing,” Hound pointed out, “remember Jayce said not to think any different than before we saw the video?” He looked at Crosshairs and Drift, “she meant to keep doing what we’re doing and not be more protective.”  
“And not to - tell Jamie,” Bee added.  
“It will take a long time for them to heal emotionally from Jadin’s betrayal. That is if they can heal,” Drift doubted.  
“Damn it,” Crosshairs muttered and walked away.  
“He’s angry again,” Hound watched the paratrooper walk away, and Drift followed him.  
“Guess - they’re both - angry.”  
“I don’t blame them, Bee,” Hound sighed. He was more disappointed there was nothing they could do.

Drift wasn’t surprised to find Crosshairs shooting at the metal fence again. He let Crosshairs continue for a while. Though it wouldn’t be his first idea of dealing with anger, it was how Crosshairs dealt with anger. Sure he’d rather take his anger out on a Decepticon, but this was close enough. Drift just sat on the ground and waited.  
“What do you want?” Crosshairs asked angrily after 5 minutes of shooting at the fence, or this point, what’s left of it. Though he knew what Drift would say and didn’t want to hear it, Crosshairs sat next to Drift anyway.  
“I will not tell you violence isn’t the answer-.”  
“And yet here you are saying it. “  
Drift was silent for a moment, “I am angry at what happened. How there’s nothing we can do. Even if Jadin is still around, I think it’s the girls’ fight-.”  
“And look at what happened!”  
“We will be there to assist not finish the fight for them. You know that’s how the three girls would want it.”  
Crosshairs sighed, he didn’t like that was all they could do, but he knew it was what the girls would want. The two Autobots just wanted their friend to recover. Drift suggested an alternative to shooting the fence, a drive. There was only one entrance to the junkyard.

“Where do you think they’re going?” Hound wondered.  
“At least they took a break. Rather they decide to than having to ask them to,” Jayce replies.  
“That’s true. How about you. When did you take a break? I always find you and J.R. in the storage building.”  
“We sleep in there. Bulma went beyond making a medkit. She made a set of capsules for if we ever end up on an adventure in the woods. We’ve already had a lot of woods adventures that lasted at least a year. Guess it seems expected we’ll end up in the woods again. We continue our training in the morning then I have no idea what J.R does when she’s not looking for an update.”  
“You don’t tell us how she is. Cade’s in there at least three times a day, so I’m guessing he knows. At least Let Crosshairs and Drift know what’s going on.”  
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Jayce sighed, “I hate how they feel already. I think knowing details will make them feel terrible, but I didn’t tell them to stay out of the building. I’m surprised they don’t want to be any closer to Jamie. That tells me they already feel terrible about what happened and terrified to watch the slow progress.”  
“You should tell them. That’s not good for them to not know. It’s not helping them,” Cade adds.  
“You just love jumping into conversations, don’t you, Cade?” Jayce laughed.  
“Not my fault, you always converse near my trailer. You should tell them, Bee and Hound. It’s doing more harm than good, not telling them anything. I think it’ll help them even if there’s no improvement.”  
“Ok, I will,” Jayce said but not sure if it’s the right thing to do. She informed Hound about Jamie before returning to check on her. She didn’t know that Cade followed her.

Cade watched as Jayce still amazed at how much she knows about medical treatment.  
“So?” He asked when she was finished.  
“I didn’t know you followed me. I haven’t been able to figure out how much Jadin injected, but it’s a lot more than what the body creates. The chemical is in the blood...,” She tried to think of a way to explain that’s easy to understand.  
“It’s fine, Jayce. Don’t worry about that now. Is Jamie doing any better?”  
“No, I know I’m not supposed to compare to previous times, but this is concerning. As I said, I couldn’t figure out the amount of chemical that was injected, but it’s a lot. I... I’m surprised it didn’t kill her faster,” She tried not to cry. Cad hugged her.  
“I know she’ll recover.”  
Damn, they’re hurting. Cade thought. He got a good idea of how close the three girls and Jadin were before Jadin betrayed them. Add how she wants to kill Jamie.  
Once Jayce calmed, she went to take a walk.  
“What happened?” Hound asked.  
“They’re hurting a lot more than we thought Hound. I don’t blame them.”  
“I’d love to kill that bastard myself.”  
“I think we’d all like to, but no, that’s their fight.”  
“Right. Well, I’ll be ready to help them kick ass. “


	7. Stressed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jamie is showing signs of fighting the flare-up, but Jayce is stressed Jamie is making little progress towards recovering. She has found a place to distress though it's away from the junkyard. This time, though, she isn't able to distress. J.R. tries to get her to tell Crosshairs and Drift about Jamie, by talking about how they've been fighting a war to show how they can handle hearing any update about Jamie. Once the two return to the junkyard, J.R. tells Cade Jayce needs a break. She's about to tell him a plan they have in place, but Jayce interrupts, pissed J.R. is even suggesting such an action. Cade finds out what J.R. was trying to tell him before helping Jayce with Jamie. Later Jayce discovers J.R. told Crosshairs and Drift how she's not telling them anything. The two mechs ask her to tell them about Jamie no matter how Jamie is and not just today. She tells the two before She, j.R. and the two mechs go to the lake she's been going to.

Jayce couldn't tell Crosshairs or Drift about Jamie even though she said she would. Every time she thought she should, she thought of how they're already feeling terrible and would decide not to. Cade seemed to have dropped the subject. He never mentioned it in the past three days. Cade would sit by Jamie a few times a day by choice and not at the request of Jayce.  
"You know you don't have to be here?" She asked as she walked towards him.  
"I know, I don't sit here all day. "  
"I know," she laughed, "but it seems like you do. Why are you here so often?"  
"No reason."  
"Ok, do you want to learn some of this?"  
"Now? No, just focus on getting Jamie better."  
"Not much I can do. It's up to Jamie's body," Jayce explained as she did her daily checking on  
Jamie's vitals, "I'm hoping soon I can... "  
"What?"  
"Damn it," she sighed, "I will have to wait longer. "  
"Why?" Cade asked, concerned.  
"Might be nothing serious, hold on," she grabbed her laptop.  
"You have to wait to do something, but this additional issue is nothing?" He watched Jayce review some previous flare-ups. She asked him to leave as she can't concentrate while he's hovering. Cade moved his chair further away from her. That was fine with Jayce.

Twenty minutes later, she informed Cade that he could come back.  
"So?" He asked, still concerned.  
"Well, it's minor. It's good, Jamie has a slight fever, and her white blood cell count is high, but the good high. Means Jamie is getting stronger to fight this. I doubt I'll ever have the answer to how much Jadin injected. It's most likely more than what's noted in the records, but as I said, I'm monitoring. There are no drugs to help fight the high levels of the chemical, only the effects like the low heart rate."  
"Something happen?" J.R. asked as she walked in. Jayce told her what she found, "you going to tell them?" J.R. asked.  
"I'm not telling them," Jayce sighed and walked out of the building before Cade and J.R. can lecture her. No Surprise Drift was sitting by the entrance, meditating. What was surprising was seeing Crosshairs lying on rusted cars in recharge. Odds are, a short one, but Jayce counted that as Crosshairs taking a break. Jayce noticed Crosshairs and Drift recharged less since the attack. Jayce wasn't sure if Drift's meditation was a way to recharge since he meditated more.

As long as he's not neglecting himself. Jayce thought as she walked by the two Autobots. She wasn't sure how often the Autobots needed to recharge but was concerned they're doing what humans do when loved ones or friends are in the hospital, sick.  
Jayce had her motorcycle in a capsule kept in her belt. She got it out, opened the capsule, and jumped on the bike that appeared. The sound of the engine broke Drift's concentration. He watched Jayce ride away, unaware Cade and J.R are also watching at the entrance of the building.  
"Is she mad or stressed?" Cade asked.  
"I'd say stressed," J.R. answered.  
"Is something wrong?" Drift asked, startling J.R. The two were not sure if they should wait for Jayce, "nevermind, I'll ask Jayce when she gets back," he told them as he got up and walked away. Drift was trying not to worry so much, but why wouldn't Cade or J.R answer his question?

Jayce had a spot she found two days ago while flying to destress. She decided she'd drive to Lake Pleasant instead of fly this time. The thirty-minute drive helped a little more than flying. She was not concerned about leaving the junkyard. It's not like the others couldn't contact her if they needed her. She can fly back fast. Jayce didn't need long to feel better but wondered why is she so stressed this time? Is it because Jadin did it? Was it because these severe flare-ups are rare now, so watching Jamie go through one is harder now? Because she was trying not to worry the Autobots more, especially Crosshairs and Drift? Besides all that, this was like any other flare-up. Thinking about all this didn't help her at all. She started feeling stressed again.

As much as J.R. knew Jayce needed a break when she noticed Jayce was gone for several hours, she had to find her. J.R. informed Cade, thinking if she didn't, then something serious would happen. She wasn't surprised that Jayce hid her energy, J.R. couldn't find Jayce that way. J.R knew Jayce wouldn't go far even though she can fly fast.

It shouldn't be that hard to find you. J.R. thought as she flew around, searching for Jayce. She wasn't sure if Jayce would have gone to the nearby town or not, but she skipped looking there. She wasn't too surprised to find Jayce at a lake. She made sure no one else was around before landing. How could she explain that she's a human that can fly?  
"There you are. Out longer than normal," J.R. said as she walked up to Jayce, "you're making yourself more stressed than you need to be," she said as she sat next to Jayce.  
"Don't even repeat what Cade has been saying."  
"Ok, How about that the Autobots have been fighting a war and have watched countless Autobots get injured or killed. Fellow Autobots that they called their friend. It's no different than how humans feel and Cade's right; you're not protecting them from feeling....spark break. You're making it worse. I know saying nothing seems better, but it's not since this will happen again. I mean, we hope not this bad, but you know. I don't tell them because you're more the one in charge of Jamie's care. I'm just an assistant."  
Jayce laughed, "no, you're not. "  
"You do most of the work."  
"No, we both do what's needed-."  
"I'm trying to make you feel better here," they both laughed, "oh, and why are you hiding your energy?"  
"So you wouldn't find me, why else? But that didn't work."  
"Thought I'd follow you soon after you left?"  
"Yeah, I did. I just wanted to be alone. Surprised, you waited three hours to find me."  
"I knew you were stressed, and you've gone off the past few days, but you come back after an hour. "  
"You think I'd just go off without a plan in case I was needed? How long have we known each other?" Jayce laughed.  
"Come on, let's go back. You kinda disturbed Drift, and he noticed you left."  
"Oh, crud."  
With her bike back in the capsule, the two flew back to the junkyard.

When the two got back, they spotted Cade and Hound but not Bumblebee, Crosshairs, or Drift.  
Did they go out to find me? Jayce wondered. The two landed very close to the others.  
"Look who came back," Cade jested.  
"Where'd they go?"  
"Out for a drive," Hound informed, "just a drive and not looking for you."  
Without asking where Bee was, Jayce returned to the building, sat on a chair, and buried her head on her hands.  
"So?" Cade looked at J.R.  
"I..I think Jayce needs a break so-"  
"No, J.R, I'm not doing that!" Jayce yelled.  
"What?" Cade asked.  
"No, I am not moving, Jamie. First off, she's too weak to be moved!" Jayce yelled as she walked fast towards the others, "I thought we agreed, only if we have to?!"  
"Wait; what?" Hound asked.  
"There's a plan, if needed, to have Jamie moved to Bulma's dimension," Jayce lowered her tone a little, but she was still talking in an angry tone, "only if it's not safe, like if the fucking Decepticons attacked now. That is if she wasn't so weak," she looked at J.R, "NOT TO TAKE BREAKS!!"  
"Ok, stop," Cade pushed Jayce so she'd take a few steps back, "terrible idea, J.R."

Jayce decided she had enough. She returned to the storage building, Cade followed her, and J.R. walked away. Hound watched for a moment before walking away.  
"So much for distressing," she mumbled.  
"Let me do that. You go sit down," Cade insisted. Jayce didn't argue. Easy enough, reading a screen. She'll do the hands-on half of checking on Jamie soon. Jayce was aware she most likely will have to retype what Cade types as he most likely can't figure out how she records this stuff, but she appreciated the help.  
I guess you have been watching. It surprised Jayce how well he was doing. When he finished, Cade showed her what he typed. A simple but easy to understand list. She took her laptop from him and reviewed what he recorded and what she had recorded earlier. She glanced at the monitor screen, hoping Cade wouldn't notice; he didn't make any errors.  
"Well?" He asked, not looking for praise but wanting to know if there are changes in Jamie's condition, even if it was bad.  
"You want to learn how to test blood?" She asked, half-serious and half-joking.  
"What?" He replied, concerned.  
She showed him the two sets of records. Jamie now has a low-grade fever.  
"Might still be nothing, but it's bad to assume and not make sure," she stood up and got what she needs to draw blood. She knew Cade already said he'd wait, he didn't want to learn while Jamie was this weak, but she felt this was the best time. She was silent for the next twenty minutes.  
"It's still nothing..well you know," she said. "I just hope it stays that way."  
"I Know," Cade replied before walking away. Jayce moved the chair to the table and sat down. She looked at the two sets of notes. Every time she checked the records, she tried not to be bothered by slow results. Supporting her head in one hand, lost in thought. Revisiting what Cade and J.R have been telling her. She wasn't aware of how tired she was. After five minutes, her head started slipping off her hand. Her arm fell onto the table, now serving as a pillow for her head.

"Jayce?" A concerned voice asked. Jayce felt a cold metal hand on her shoulder. She lifted her head to see Crosshairs standing by the table, "you ok?"  
"I'm fine," she replied. Crosshairs didn't believe she was fine. He looked at Jamie and started walking out of the building.  
"Come with me," he requested as he walked out.  
Jayce noticed Cade, Drift, and J.R at the entrance. Jayce found that a little odd.  
"I'm sorry I had to tell them," J.R apologized. Jayce knew what she meant but not how to respond. She was a little angry at J.R but, mostly guilty now that they know why she wouldn't keep them informed.  
"I know you had good intentions," Drift was trying to be nice but also trying to show how disappointed he and Crosshairs are.  
"They're pissed you won't tell them anything!" J.R yelled. Crosshairs and Drift both looked at her in disgust, "well, it's true."  
"No, disappointed," Drift corrected.  
"There's a difference between disappointed and pissed," Cade added.  
"You remember when I said a friend would learn everything they can about a friend?" Drift asked, "a friend wouldn't keep things like Jamie's condition from friends either."  
"You're just doing more harm," Cade added, "more to yourself. J.R tells me you're never this stressed. I know how bad Jamie's condition is stressing you, but you let yourself get stressed from trying to keep them from being disappointed."  
"You have to tell us," Crosshairs requested, kneeling to put a hand on Jayce's shoulder. Hearing them say they wanted to know made Jayce feel a little better.  
Jayce is still a little hesitant, but she told them. They felt the same way Jayce did, knowing how Jamie is should be expected but concerned. Not just about Jamie like Jayce os but also how Jayce put so much stress on herself. They knew both Jayce and J.R struggled with Jadin's return, what she did, and watching how slow Jamie is recovering. Everyone is bothered by how all they can do is wait.  
"Come on, show us this lake you found," Drift suggested. Jayce didn't even question how Drift knows about the lake. She just agreed to go. Crosshairs and J.R. also went with them.

When Crosshairs and Drift saw the lake and the specific spot Jayce had been going to, they thought they had to show Jamie but didn't mention it to the girls.  
There were humans, so Crosshairs and Drift couldn't transform. The Autobots parked near the lake where there are no humans. The girls got out and sat with the two mechs on the hood of their alt modes. The girls didn't want to walk around.  
They stayed for twenty minutes before feeling bored but happier than when they arrived. That's all Crosshairs, and Drift wanted.


	8. A Dumb Idea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crosshairs and Drift find out Jayce has been having nightmares about what happened to Jamie. They come up with a quick solution for the night. Hearing about Jayce having nightmares the next morning, J.R. flies off, leaving no one to take care of Jamie if something serious happens for two hours until Jayce wakes up. Jayce is furious J.R. left while she was asleep and fights J.R. as soon as J.R. returns.

J.R. watched Jayce do the last check on Jamie before the two headed to bed.  
Even with her unexpected nap, Jayce was exhausted. It was ten P.M. when the girls and Cade went to bed. Both girls had no problem falling asleep, but three hours later, Jayce wakes up, terrified. She couldn't move any part of her body beside her head. She turned her head and watched J.R sleep for a few minutes before she felt She could move. She got up, trying to be quiet, walked around J.R, and left the building as quietly as possible. She wasn't successful, J.R watched Jayce leave but didn't follow her.  
Jayce wanted to find Crosshairs or Drift. However, she'd rather find both. Jayce found it strange she didn't find any Autobots.  
Where did they all go this late at night? Does this mean Cade's up? Jayce wondered, but she didn't bother knocking on the trailer door. She'd hate to wake him up if Cade wasn't awake already. She sat against a car. She felt tired but also felt there's no way she's going back to sleep.  
If they're out, they should be back soon. Jayce pulled out her phone and looked at some photos. She was so tired that she fell asleep within five minutes, the phone dropped to the ground.

The Autobots return twenty minutes later.  
"That was fun," Hound said as he transformed. The other Autobots also transformed.  
"It's a nice- area," Bumblebee added. He noticed Jayce sleeping, looked at the others, and pointed to her.  
"What the...," this discovery confused Cade and the Autobots. Cade walked over to her and knelt beside her to wake her up. Crosshairs noticed Jayce's phone and picked it up; It was still on. He looked at the photo she was looking at before falling asleep, frowning. He walked over to Drift and showed him the photo. A photo of Crosshairs kneeling on the left, Drift kneeling on the right, and Jamie is standing between them. Crosshairs' right arm was resting on his right knee, his right hand in a fist but pointing the index finger out. Drift mirrored this with his left knee, arm and hand. Jamie's hands on their index fingers and the three of them smiling. Drift also frowned at the sight of this photo.  
"What are you doing out here? "Cade asked once Jayce woke up.  
"What are you doing up?" She asked, both to avoid answering the question and wondering why was Cade up. Jayce was sure she didn't wake him.  
"Would you believe that these two wanted to go to a lake?" Hound answered Jayce's question, pointing to Crosshairs and Drift, "Bee and I wanted in, and Cade insisted he come although we have holoforms," Hound finished explaining. Jayce forgot about the holoforms as the Autobots hadn't had to use them when they were hiding with the girls with them, but they showed her the holoforms once. Jamie knew about them but never saw them.  
It surprised Jayce that Crosshairs and Drift returned to the lake without Jamie. Though she assumed Drift would now suggest he take her when he felt she was very stressed.  
"Now, why are you out here?" Crosshairs asked, hating that Jayce is trying to avoid the question. Cade and Drift both looked at him in disgust.  
"what's wrong, Jayce?" Drift asked as he knelt beside her. Cade got up and looked at Crosshairs as he walked past him, hoping he'd get the message.  
You're Jamie's guardian, but Jayce is her friend and needs you too.  
He wondered if J.R. was hiding how bad she felt though it seems she could sleep, so maybe not, he'd ask in the morning. Cade returned to his trailer for the rest of the night.  
Though Jayce was looking for the two to talk to them thirty minutes ago, she was hesitant to talk about what she wanted to talk about. Drift was used to this. Jamie doesn't talk about her emotions and often when she needed or wanted something because of shit Jamie dealt with in her dimension. Jayce would talk about anything until this past week. He knew it wasn't good for her not to talk now. He would be patient and let her talk when she was ready. However, now that she's not sleeping well, he felt he had to help. Jayce was quiet for a few minutes. Crosshairs was about to leave this to Drift until Jayce spoke.  
"I've been having nightmares about what happened and about Jamie," she tells them. That stopped Crosshairs in his tracks, and he turned around. Both he and Drift had a concerned expression. Realizing how serious this was, he decided he had to stay and knelt in front of Jayce.  
"When did these start?" Crosshairs asked.  
"Three days ago," she replied. She tells them the nightmares she's been having. Either finding Jamie dead, how Jamie ends up dying, or Jadin returning to finish the job. From what the two knew, Crosshairs and Drift figured Jayce wasn't afraid she'd be dead because Jamie is Jadin's target. From what they saw, Jadin would aim to split the girls up, and that's why Jayce didn't seem to fear her or J.R. being killed. She had asked them not to change what they have with Jamie before showing them what Jadin did to them, but they feared she might become overprotective. Jayce ended up crying by the time she finished. The two bots looked at each other with uncertainty.  
"It's ok, Jayce. Jamie will be ok," Drift comforted Jayce.  
"If that bastard comes back, we'll all take care of her," Crosshairs promised. The two mechs hoped that made Jayce feel a little better. They knew it would take time for all three to heal from this and Jadin's betrayal. Drift suggested Jayce try sleeping while he's in vehicle mode. Though the seats don't recline, it might be better to be away from Jamie.

After Jayce talked about her nightmares, Crosshairs felt he had to see Jamie. He still felt pain seeing her fighting for her life. He looked at J.R. sleeping, wondering if she has nightmares? Does she feel as much pain as Jayce? As much as he hated seeing Jamie in her current state, he stayed all night but left once the sun started rising.

He found Drift parked in a carport to stay awake from the rising sun.  
That's one good thing about being in a car junkyard, I guess. He thought as he walked up to Drift.  
:: Did she get any sleep?:: He asked him.  
:: yes, she's still sleeping. I will let her sleep for a while longer. I'm sure between J.R. and Cade; it'll be fine.:: Drift explained. Crosshairs nodded and walked away. It was only six A.M. J.R. would be up soon and possibly Cade. Crosshairs decided he'd wait for either of them to wake up. Not like he has anything else to do.

J.R. woke up an hour later, not surprised Jayce wasn't still sleeping next to her or even in the building. J.R. was concerned that Jayce might have been up all night. Unsure if Jayce slept all night and is up early or not, J.R did what she assumes is the first check on Jamie of the day. Then she went to find Jayce or see if anyone knew where she is. She noticed Crosshairs sitting on a car, looking like he was waiting for something. J.R. found that strange.  
"Waiting for something?" She asked.  
"No, someone. I was waiting for either you or Cade," he replied.  
"Why?" She asked puzzled.  
"To let either of you know Jayce was up late last night and Drift is letting her sleep late. So either of you will have to take over."  
"Ok, Where is she?"  
"Only way she could sleep is in Drift's vehicle mode."  
"Damn, why?"  
"Because she's been having nightmares about what happened, Jamie and that bastard."  
"That's what's been going on?" Cade asked as he walked towards them, "how about you, J.R.?"  
"I'm fine, but I'm not watching Jamie's slow progress. Maybe I should from here on out."  
"No, If that causes Jayce's nightmares and lack of sleep, then taking over for Jayce will not help," Cade says, though he wasn't sure how they could remedy this. He wasn't sure if having Jayce sleep in Drift's vehicle mode was the best solution, but it was something.  
"So, I assume you took over what Jayce has been doing for the moment?" Cade asked J.R.  
"Yes," she answered.  
"Should be only for the morning," Cade said before walking off.  
"So, Why don't you or Drift sit near Jamie? I mean in the building."  
"I can't see Jamie like that," he answered, frowning, before walking away. J.R. felt that would be Drift's answer. She wasn't sure what to say, so she just let Crosshairs walk away.  
You fucking bastard. J.R. was furious. She was now seeing how much more Jadin did. It might not have been her plan, but she hurt everyone. J.R decided to see if flying would help like it helps Jayce. Hound watched her fly away.  
"Where is she going?" He asked Crosshairs as he walked by.  
"What?!" He turned around and spotted J.R. before she was too far away to see, "damn."  
"Is there a problem?" Hound asked. Crosshairs explained what was going on.  
"She has to be furious to fly off like that and forget what's going on this morning," Hound observed. Crosshairs wondered if she is furious at him, at what he said or was she lying when she said she was fine? Nothing they can do now but wait until she returns and inform Cade though they're screwed if something happens while Jayce is asleep and J.R. is away.  
"Wonderful," Cade sighed, thinking he should have taken Jayce's offer to learn how to take care of Jamie.

Several hours pass before Jayce wakes up. She wasn't expecting Drift to move to make sure she stayed out of the sun.  
"Sleep well?" Drift asked.  
"Yes, thank you," she replied as she stepped out. Drift transformed and knelt on one knee.  
"Any time," he was happy to see Jayce smiling.  
Jayce left to get some food. Jayce knew how to tell time based on the sun's location. It was only ten A.M. Crosshairs noticed Jayce walking away and started walking towards Drift. He didn't want to tell her, not yet.  
"Why do I feel like something is wrong?" Drift asked, now standing up.  
Crosshairs sighed, "I talked to J.R. She claimed she was fine but then flew off. She left three hours ago," he informed Drift. Drift frowned, hearing this.  
"She won't return to her dimension or do anything to draw attention to herself, and she'll be back. I think we should talk to her when she returns."  
Crosshairs agreed though he figured J.R. would ask Drift the same question she asked him, though he'd rather she not. Drift noticed something bothered Crosshairs but assumed it was because of J.R. taking off or Jamie. Drift was also thinking about Jamie, but also how can he help Jayce and now J.R.? They watched Jayce, happy she isn't stressed, but they knew she wouldn't stay that way. There wasn't much they could do, at least without making Jayce step away, which they'd rather not.

Jayce carried on as she did every day when she finished eating, and every day, she found Cade sitting near Jamie.  
Sure there's little to do in a car junkyard, but this is getting way too repetitive, Jayce thought, and we're all falling apart.  
"Hey, are you sure you're all right?" Cade asked, standing up, ready to take over.  
"I'm fine," she replied, "besides, what can you do?" She joked, smiling.  
Cade smiled back, "hilarious."  
"Wouldn't be if something happened," Jayce was now serious. Cade stopped smiling.  
She knows J.R. left, damn.  
He left Jayce alone. She didn't bother checking on Jamie; Jayce figured J.R. would have done that before being stupid and leaving. She would check on Jamie in two hours. Jayce thought it would be some time before Jamie showed signs of improvement. She sat on one of the two chairs.  
A week, and we're all falling apart now, J.R. left. She sighed and just stared at Jamie.

J.R. returned twenty minutes later, trying her best to make sure no one saw her return.  
"Nice to see you've returned," Hound scolded as he walked up to her, "you think that was the best thing to do right now?"  
"Now- hold on - a minute," Bee was trying to make sure the two didn't do or say anything they'd regret. Jayce heard J.R. had returned. She knocked over the chair as she got up and walked fast to J.R.  
"You fucking bastard!!" She yelled as she walked towards them. Crosshairs and Drift heard her and walked over. Before they got there, they watched Jayce slap J.R. across the face, and J.R. fall to the ground. She got up and returned a punch. Didn't take long before.the two were in a physical altercation, but unlike the ones Jamie and J.R have, these two were going at each other. Hound and Bee tried to grab either of the girls, but the two girls moved fast. Crosshairs and Drift weren't successful either. They couldn't let the fight continue either. It was clear Jayce wanted to harm J.R. They noticed J.R. wasn't putting up much of a fight.  
"What the hell, Jayce?!" She yelled while trying to defend herself. The Autobots ran to get to were it appeared the girls were heading towards, a pile of cars. Not as bad as a building, but that's still not a good place to end up. They didn't expect Jayce to grab J.R., throwing her into the pile of cars. They all watched, shocked. J.R. landed on the ground after hitting the cars.  
Cade runs over after hearing glass shatter.  
"What the hell?!" He yells before noticing J.R., "shit."  
Though he had no clue what happened, seeing the blood on J.R. concerned him. Jayce just walked away.  
"Stop!!" Hound yells, but Jayce ignores him. The Autobots watch Jayce walk away for a few seconds before turning their attention to J.R.  
"What the hell happened?" Cade asks.  
"Jayce is pissed," Hound answers.  
"She would- never fight- friends. "  
"Unless her anger is blinding her judgment, Bee," Drift commented.  
"She's knocked out, but ok," Cade informed them. By ok, he meant no serious inquiries. She was lucky enough to end up with some cuts on her face and arms but not deep ones.  
"I'll take her," Crosshairs insisted and transformed. Without question, Cade put J.R. on the passenger side of Crosshairs' alt mode. Better than leaving her where she is, and Jayce returned to the building so that wouldn't work. Cade had no interest in letting them use his trailer. Drift watched Jayce; she needed time to calm down before he can talk to her.  
Damn it. When will this shit end? Cade wondered.

Crosshairs and Drift waited until J.R. woke up and talk to both girls. She woke up four hours later with the typical question; what happened? Though Crosshairs wasn't sure if J.R. forgot or that's what humans always say. He explained to her what happened.  
"...you two need to talk," he finished.  
"I guess," J.R. didn't want to, but she knew she had to. They found Drift sitting on a car and Jayce sitting on his leg. He had a light grip on her. Was she still that angry that Drift had to restrain her? J R. Wondered as she stepped out of Crosshairs. The tough J.R. was afraid to talk to her friends. Crosshairs transformed and moved a car to sit across from Drift. He picked up J.R. and placed her on his leg. There was silence for a moment. Jayce looked at J.R, shocked at what she did—wondering why didn't J.R. clean up beforehand?  
"I... I'm sorry," Jayce apologized.


	9. A Terrifying Setback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> J.R. releases all the anger she kept bottled up the past week before breaking down and letting herself cry, which causes an emotionally drained Jayce to cry. The two mechs tried to comfort the girls the best they could until Cade interrupts them; There's possibly a problem with Jamie. J.R. tried to follow Cade and Jayce, but Crosshairs stops her. Cade is distracted, trying to figure out what the problem could be with the little information he has. He watches Jayce and J.R. talk by a pile of cars by the building before they suddenly rush into the building. He goes in, unprepared for what he sees. The night becomes dreadful.

Neither Jayce nor J.R. knew what to say next. The two mechs wanted the girls to talk without having to start the conversation.  
"Are you ok?" Jayce asked J.R.  
"I'm fine," she replied, trying to slide off Crosshairs and leave, but he put a tight grip on her. She didn't even try breaking free. She knew she and Jayce had to talk.  
"No, you're not," Jayce spoke in a low fearful tone, "what's wrong?"  
It was clear both girls were worried they'd provoke the other. J.R. wasn't used to talking about emotion and tried her best not to show any weak emotion. Sure, she let tears loose a week ago, and she would not let herself be weak again or at least try not to.  
"Besides being pissed at Jadin? Besides having to watch Jamie fight for her life?!" J.R. fumed. Crosshairs had loosened his grip since she could get down. He must have known she wouldn't run off. Jayce realized Drift did the same, so she slid off Drift. The mechs felt the two girls wouldn't walk away from this, "Jadin hurt all of us. You're more stressed than usual and have nightmares," she looked at Crosshairs and Drift, "they can't even look at Jamie."  
Jayce wasn't too surprised to hear that. Crosshairs was not pleased J.R. told Jayce, and Drift wasn't surprised she knew. J.R. gave up hiding her emotions and let tears lose. She didn't care about the salt of the tears stinging the cuts on her face causing pain. Jayce, already being emotionally drained and seeing J.R. cry, starting tearing up. Was this what the mechs wanted to happen? No. They looked at each other, wondering if this was helping their friends.  
:: Holoforms?:: Crosshairs asked, thinking they can't do anything as 18-foot Cybertronians, Drift nodded. The two activated their holoforms— Crosshairs hugging J.R. and Drift hugging Jayce, getting them to sit on the ground.  
"I already said this to Jayce, but I'll say it again to both of you; if Jadin returns, we'll all take care of her," Crosshairs promised. This made Jayce and J.R. feel a little better. Crosshairs had heard jokes sometimes helped, but he was terrible at jokes.  
"Jamie will be ok, and this guy can get his partner back," he pointed to Drift, who smiled a little, and the girls laughed.  
"Not bad, Crosshairs," Drift smiled.  
"I hate to interrupt," Cade jumps in, sounding concerned, the mood changes. The girls' and Drift's smiles disappear and turn to concerned expressions.  
"I'm sorry I killed the mood, Jayce you better look at this,"  
Jayce and J.R look at each other, very concerned before Jayce gets up and follows Cade.  
"Shit," J.R. mumbles, but Crosshairs and Drift heard her. Crosshairs tightened his hold. J.R. didn't bother trying to break free or say anything. She wanted to follow Cade and Jayce but didn't want to know what the problem was. She hated Jamie wasn't even improving, and now she might be declining. J.R. gave up hiding her emotions and let them lose, burying her head on Crosshairs' chest. He hugged her tighter. Drift wasn't sure what to do but watch, frowning.

"What's the problem?" Jayce asked as she and Cade approached Jamie. He just pointed to the monitor. Jayce observed the monitor for a few seconds with a worried expression. Cade stayed out of her way, as Jayce did a blood test. Cade was concerned Jayce still had a worried look when she finished the test.  
Shit. Cade was convinced something was wrong. Why now? Why at all?  
"Anything I can do?" He asked but was sure he couldn't do anything.  
"No....not much I can do either. "  
Oh yeah, this isn't good. Jayce would always provide details. Cade wanted to tell her to sit, and he'd take over, but he couldn't. All he could do was watch her prepare an infusion bag. When Cade saw the name of the drug on the bottle, he knew at least part the problem. Cade walked away to give Jayce space.

Cade watched J.R., Crosshairs and Drift from a distance trying not to disturb them. Surprised, J.R. is showing her emotions Crosshairs doing his best to comfort her.  
Drift noticed Cade and studied his expression.  
Something's wrong. Drift thought.  
If he turned off his holoform and walked away, J.R. would notice, and she was calm. He'd like to keep her calm for a while. He'd have to wait until later to see if either Cade or Jayce would tell him anything. He looked at Crosshairs, not bothering to hide how he's worried. Now Crosshairs was worried, but both did their best to hide it from J.R.

One good thing about a junkyard is there are several storage buildings. The girls weren't using the one Cade would sit on the roof and have Hound create secure lines to call his daughter. This time he just wanted to sit and watch the sunset. Getting lost in thought, he didn't hear Hound.  
"Cade?" Hound said for the fourth time before Cade heard him.  
"Huh?"  
"Do you want me to create a secure line?"  
"Not now, Hound."  
"Is something wrong?" Bee asked. He was sitting on the roof on the right of Cade. Cade debated saying anything since he didn't know what the problem was, but he knew something was wrong.  
"Something is wrong. Jayce won't tell me what, but I watched her, and from what she was prepping, it's most likely not good," Cade sighed. Bee and Hound are now also concerned.  
"When will this shit end?" Hound wondered.  
"I know. Hopefully, Jamie will recover soon. The three of them are hurting from what Jadin did. That'll take time to heal. "  
"I wish - we could help."  
"Crosshairs and Drift are trying, Bee. Not much more we can do than what they're trying."

Twenty minutes later, J.R. joins Jayce. Crosshairs and Drift left the girls alone.  
"What's going on?" J.R. asks, "can't pretend nothing happened. I don't care how bad it is. Tell me!!"  
"No need to get angry. There's a rise in the chemical and not a small one, that's not good. I'm hoping it's-," An alarm on her phone interrupted her, "shit. Let's go!"  
She and J.R. ran into the building.  
"Shit," Cade mumbled as He, Bee, and Hound watched the two girls run. He debated between waiting to find out what's going on and if they needed help for a minute. It was strange they ran so he decided he better see if they need help. Bee and Hound didn't follow. He wasn't prepared for what he saw.

"Cade, take over!" Jayce looked at him. He ran over to take over what she was doing. Cade couldn't believe how calm Jayce was while doing chest compressions. She waited until he was ready before removing her hands.  
Shit, come on, Jamie, you got to fight.  
Jayce worked fast but carefully to get the drugs needed. After 5 minutes of chest compressions and administering drugs, Jamie's heart started.  
Good, and I didn't have to shock her heart. Jayce thought, relieved.  
"Now what?" J.R. asked.  
"Give me a minute," Jayce answered.  
"Why do I feel like this has happened before," Cade commented.  
"A few times," Jayce sighed, "though we've kept severe flare-ups to a minimum."  
"Before Jadin betrayed us."  
"Doesn't matter, the point is we are prepared," Jayce sat at the table and opened her laptop to record what just happened, "also partly why we keep a record of all this except this time there's an added variable."  
"So..?" J.R. asked.  
"Nothing more I can do but monitor."  
"I wouldn't even tell them, Jayce. Now I get how hard it is for you to tell them anything about Jamie's condition."  
"And you know they'll ask and want to know," Cade commented.  
"I can't tell them now. I have to stay here."  
"Later then," J.R. said before leaving.  
"Why don't you?!" Jayce yelled, but J.R. ignored her. Cade followed J.R.

"Why are you following me?" She grumbled and kept walking.  
"Are you all right?"  
"I'm fine," She said with sadness in her voice.  
"No, you're not, J.R. You can't keep hiding how you're feeling," J.R. stopped walking and turned to face Cade, "you expect me to think you're fine after what just happened? I know you're not."  
"I am...just leave me alone, please," J.R. walked away; Cade didn't follow her.  
J.R. snuck around the junkyard to find a place to be alone. She didn't want the Autobots to find her, especially Crosshairs and Drift. She couldn't leave now. Sure she did this morning, but she was afraid to now after what just happened plus she didn't want Jayce to fight her when she came back. She tried to relax but wanted to be near Jamie.  
"Back so soon?" Jayce looked up from her laptop.  
"I... I'm afraid Jayce," she sat across from Jayce.  
"I am too," she sighed, "there's nothing I can do. She's stable, but there's still a high level of the chemical in her blood."  
"Which caused...you know. If Jamie is too weak to fight-"  
"No, J.R., don't think that way," though Jayce was having a hard time thinking positive herself, "come on, let's take a break."  
J.R. nodded though she'd rather stay. The two sat on the cars near the building. They didn't want to go far.

Five minutes pass before the others join them.  
"How is Jamie?" Drift asked. J.R. put a hand on Jayce's shoulder. Jayce had to force herself to tell them what has happened.  
"No," Drift said in a sad tone. He and Crosshairs rushed into the building. Jayce watched, trying not to cry at the thought that she just crushed two sparks. Bee and Hound were shocked at what happened. Everyone now feared Jamie wouldn't survive. Jayce wanted to be with Crosshairs and Drift, but both Cade and J.R. stopped her.  
"Leave them alone for a while," Cade advised.  
"This is why I didn't want to tell them anything," she cried, "you see what I just did?"  
"It's still better than not saying anything," Hound tried to assure Jayce.

The two mechs stared at their friend. They didn't know what all the medical equipment was, but the sight still crushed them. Jayce walked in ten minutes later, standing close to the entrance. The two mechs turned to face her.  
"I'm sorry," she sobbed.  
Drift picked her up and walked out of the building. Crosshairs followed him. They found J.R. still sitting on a car, waiting for them with concern on her face. Drift put Jayce down, who was now coughing from crying. Drift activated his holoform and hugged her.  
"It's ok," though Drift was no longer sure if Jamie would be ok. He was afraid he'd lose his friend. He wanted to calm Jayce down. It took a while before Jayce stopped crying. He knew he couldn't take her away from the junkyard, no matter how prepared she was, nor did he want to leave. He suggested Jayce do what she likes to do when there's downtime. She'd hopefully be distracted but nearby if needed. She went to a carport away from the glaring sun and some distance from Jamie. Though only fifty feet, she was comfortable with that. Drift watched to make sure she was ok before deactivating his holoform. Crosshairs watched as he walked into the storage building where Jamie was but didn't follow Drift.  
"Still can't see her?" J.R. asked. Crosshairs didn't answer. J.R. wanted to get him to see Jamie.  
Be with her, Crosshairs. I don't want you to regret not seeing her one last time if she dies. She wasn't aware Crosshairs was looking at her. Crosshairs watched a tear go down her face.  
"You ok?" He asked. She just got up and walked away.

J.R. joined Jayce but sat across from her quietly. Jayce was too into the game she was playing to notice J.R.  
"How long have you been sitting there?" Jayce finally asked.  
"Twenty minutes. "J.R. replied. She noticed how tired Jayce was, but it was only four P.M. J.R. was hoping it was late enough that Jayce would go to sleep. J.R. would like it if she could tell Jayce to back to her dimension, but she would say no anyway. J.R. was thinking about how they need to change the arrangement they have so she could help more. She knew just as much as Jayce, but Jayce decided it would be better if just one of them cared for Jamie when she suffered a flare-up. If neither of the girls joined Jamie in traveling to a dimension, friends in that dimension knew how to care for her.

Forty minutes later, Jayce decided she had enough of a break. J.R. watched her leave before running to catch up to her, but she didn't stop her.  
"He's still in there?" She asked Crosshairs. He nodded. Jayce was concerned. She wanted to check on Jamie anyway. Crosshairs and I.R. followed her. She walked five feet before stopping. She was crushed at what she saw. Drift had activated his holoform. He was sitting on a chair by the bed and had fallen asleep. His head was resting on his hand that was holding Jamie's hand. She stood still, hand over her mouth for a few seconds before deciding she had to leave. J.R. watched Jayce run out of the building and noticed Crosshairs left, and she left soon afterward but caught Cade heading over.  
"Don't go in there, Cade. Leave Drift alone," J.R. advised him, "he's not taking what Jayce told him well."  
"Can't be worse than a week ago."  
"It is," she said as Cade walked by her. He didn't listen to J.R. and walked into the building. He walked five feet before stopping, taking one look at Drift and walking out.  
"Ok, you're right."  
"I told you. I think Crosshairs wants to be with Jamie too, but he's afraid."  
"They're afraid we'll lose Jamie. You see now why I was worried about telling them? They were hurting now I crushed their sparks." Jayce jumped in.  
"How would you avoid them finding out?" Cade asked, "they'd find out eventually. I'm sorry, but I would have told them even if you told me not to."  
"I also would have told them," J.R. added.  
"I know you guys would have. You two aren't weak when it comes to that."  
"No, you're not weak. You don't want to hurt them any more than they already are, but like I've been saying, that's not helping," Cade explained.  
"You're not weak. I know you meant well." Jayce felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to find Crosshairs using his holoform.  
"Have you been listening to us?" J.R. asked.  
"Have you seen Drift?" Jayce asked, "you see how bad I hurt him?"  
Crosshairs frowned.  
"How about you, Crosshairs? Are you all right?" J.R. asked, hoping he'd say something.  
"No, but I'd rather know how Jamie is, Jayce, and so would Drift."  
"I don't think so," she said and walked away. Crosshairs wanted to know how Drift was though he knew how Drift is taking the news. He had to force himself to see how Drift was since he'd have to see Jamie.

Crosshairs wasn't surprised at what he was seeing, but it was still upsetting. He put a hand in Drift's shoulder, waking Drift.  
"Hey, you ok?" Crosshairs asked.  
"I'm terrified Jamie won't survive."  
"I am too," Crosshairs moved the other chair by Drift and sat down. Drift saw the pain on Crosshairs' face. He knew Crosshairs wanted to see Jamie, but also didn't want to. Drift felt the same way, but his fear Jamie could die made him want to be with her.  
"Come on, Jamie. You can fight this." Crosshairs hesitated holding her hand. Drift grabbed Crosshairs' left hand and put it on half of Jamie's, he then put his right hand on the other half of Jamie's, overlapping Crosshairs' a little. Neither of them knew what to say. They just sat in silence.


	10. Nightmare and Little Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> J.R. tells Jayce of a possible theory she has and how Crosshairs and Drift could help Jamie recover. An hour passes before Crosshairs, and Drift leave the building, not liking Jayce and J.R. aren't around. They discover the two girls are sleeping at the back of the property. Drift tells Crosshairs they'll be fine before going back to Jamie. Crosshairs stays with the girls anyway. The next day, J.R. finds out Drift left sometime during the night. J.R. hates how everyone seems to have lost hope and it really bothers her Drift lost hope and left. She goes through the records to try to find one to show everyone there's hope,

Jayce wasn’t surprised Crosshairs and Drift are still with Jamie three hours later. At long last, they were doing what she thought was right. Still, she knew they were only there because of the news Jayce told them. It’s been an eventful day, she is exhausted but didn’t want to disturb them, she’d rather they be with her than avoid her. She and J.R. were sitting at their usual spot near the building.  
“Hey, I know what you’re thinking, and...well, this might sound stupid, but...” J.R. trailed off.  
“Yes? Tell me,” Jayce begged.  
“What if the bond between those three is strong that it helps Jamie fight the flare-up?”  
“That... might be possible, but you are thinking because they’re with her. I don’t know if they’re just there for tonight,” she sighed.  
“You will have to see them. You haven’t checked on Jamie in four hours, and I’d think-.”  
“I want to leave them alone with her and,” she was trying not to cry, “I don’t think there are any changes,” Jayce walked away.  
Fuck. J.R. realized Jayce thinks Jamie will die. This was very concerning.  
Should I tell the others? Just Cade? This isn’t good.   
It was late, and J.R. was tired. She’d talk to Cade and maybe the others tomorrow.  
Crosshairs walks out of the building an hour later. He deactivated his holoform. Drift deactivates his holoform and meets him two minutes later. They didn’t realize how long they’ve been with Jamie and found it strange Jayce and J.R. weren’t around.  
“Cade, have you seen Jayce and J.R.?” Crosshairs asked when he noticed Cade heading to his trailer.  
“Not in the past five hours,” he answered as he walked up to them, “that’s strange.”  
“We’ll find them, Cade,” Drift tells him, he and Crosshairs walk away as Cade went to his trailer.  
“This is unusual,” Drift fretted.  
“At least for Jayce. J.R. already flew off today.”  
“I don’t think she would now after what happened.”  
The two went separate ways to find the girls faster.  
:: Drift, I found them.:: Crosshairs commed five minutes later. Drift runs to Crosshairs’ location. They found the two girls laying on the ground, sleeping.  
“What do you want to do?” Crosshairs asked.  
“Leave them. They’ll be fine,” Drift assured Crosshairs. Saying nothing else, he walked away. Crosshairs stayed, he knew where Drift was going. Though Drift was right about the girls being fine sleeping outside, Crosshairs stayed in case Jayce ended up waking up from a nightmare.  
Crosshairs was right to stay. He heard Jayce moaning several hours later. Crosshairs watched Jayce for a few minutes, hoping the nightmare would end, and she’d stay asleep. Still, when she started crying while asleep, Crosshairs decided he had to wake her. Holoform would be best for this. He thought.  
For a mech who once found them useless, he realized how useful they could be. Crosshairs sat next to Jayce and moved her onto his legs. Sure he wanted to wake her but also trying not to scare her awake. Crosshairs felt how tense Jayce was. By now, J.R. is awake, not knowing what time it is  
she wondered if Jayce got a suitable amount of sleep since she might not fall asleep once woken up. She watched Crosshairs try to wake Jayce.  
How bad is this nightmare? Jayce would be awake by now, especially if we were under attack. J R. wondered, thinking of all their past adventures and the times they were attacked in the middle of the night.  
It took Crosshairs seven minutes to get Jayce to wake up. She had a scared look.  
What is scaring you like this? Crosshairs thought as he hugged a bawling Jayce.  
Damn. I think I know what caused the nightmare this time. J.R. watched, uncertain if she should say something. Crosshairs was now debating getting Drift involved or leaving him alone.  
Jayce cried herself back to sleep. Crosshairs held her. He sighed, relieved she fell asleep but continued to wonder what happened in her nightmare.  
Had to have been worse than the last couple of days, before she talked to Drift and I, or did no one hear her?  
By now, J.R went back to sleep.  
“What happened?” Drift asks as he walks over.  
“These nightmares are getting worse. Jayce woke up scared and bawling. She cried herself back to sleep two hours ago. I doubt J.R. didn’t hear her. Most likely, she just watched.”  
“And I said they’d be fine,” Drift sighed.  
“It’s fine, Drift. I know you wanted to be with Jamie.”  
“You have to see her more, Crosshairs,” he said in a sad tone before walking away. Crosshairs couldn’t believe that Drift was losing hope that Jamie would survive. Now he understood the nightmare that frightened Jayce.  
The sun rose in a direction that allowed Crosshairs’ Cybertronian form to provide shade.  
Good, she can sleep a little longer. Crosshairs looked at Jayce still in his arms. J.R. awoke five minutes later. She looked at Crosshairs holding Jayce and frowned.  
“Damn it,” she mumbled but loud enough that Crosshairs heard her.  
“You know what’s going on?” He asked.  
“Yes. I was going to tell you, Cade and Drift, this morning.”  
“Still have to tell Cade and Drift. We need to figure out what to do about this.”  
J R. Nodded and walked away.  
So you figured out what’s going on just by Jayce’s nightmare last night. That’s how bad it was, fuck.  
J.R. found Bumblebee, Hound, and Cade talking. She didn’t care about the subject until she heard Cade say Drift’s name. She walked closer to them but didn’t want to join in.  
“He just drove off?” Cade asked.  
“Yes - that’s not - like him,” Bumblebee commented.  
“Especially if it’s a problem related to Jamie,” Hound added.  
“Unless....damn, he thinks Jamie will die.” Cade guesses.  
Bumblebee pointed past Cade as he was talking.  
Cade sighed, “how long have you been standing there, J.R.?” he asked with concern as he turned to face her. Saying nothing, she ran away. Cade didn’t stop her; he was concerned Jayce was thinking the same as Drift and gave up. Cade didn’t even think J.R. would tell Crosshairs Drift left.

J R. was thinking about telling Crosshairs, but she also thought she’d wait until Jayce woke up so they could all talk. She tried contacting Drift, but he turned off his comlink.  
Fuck, this isn’t good. J.R. thought as she punched a car. None of the others heard her.  
J.R. was getting angry, thinking of all that happened the past nine days and sad about how much this hurts the others. She fell to her knees and let herself cry until she started coughing. It was hard to stop, but when she was able to stop crying, J.R. just sat quietly, trying not to think about anything, but it was impossible. J.R. was hoping by now Cade, Hound and Bumblebee were away from the storage building where Jamie was. She was in no mood to talk.  
Good, they left. I don’t see Cade in there either. I can’t believe they’re giving up. J.R. thought as she entered the building. I’m afraid she’ll die too, but I’m not giving up. Jamie’s been through this time and time again for fourteen years now. Even what happened last night wasn’t new but, it’s still terrifying to witness.  
J.R. compared what she recorded to what Jayce recorded last night. No change at all. She tried to find the notes from the last severe flare-up that caused Jamie’s heart to stop, but she couldn’t figure out Jayce’s system. She figured this would take her a while, but she kept searching.

“What happened?” Cade asked when he saw Crosshairs holding Jayce.  
“What do you think?” He replied in an irritated tone.  
“Damn it,” Cade mumbled, unsure if he should say anything now.  
“Something wrong?” Crosshairs asked, worried.  
“Drift left, but I wouldn’t worry.”  
Damn it; he’s hurting. I can’t leave now, and he’ll be back. Crosshairs thought, looking at Jayce.

J.R. found what she was looking for two hours later. She was expecting Cade to walk in by now, but he hasn’t.  
Damn it; you got to be kidding me. We can’t take another seven weeks of this. I can’t take seeing Crosshairs, Drift, and Jayce hurting anymore.  
She tried not to cry, knowing the others would hear her but couldn’t. Sure enough, Bumblebee heard her. He walked into the building to see what was going on. Bumblebee saw J.R. sitting at the table. He knelt beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. J.R. looked to see which Autobot came up to her.  
“I’m Fine, Bee.”  
“Doesn’t look - like it,” he said. Bumblebee picked J.R. up. She didn’t bother fighting him. Bee carried her out. He saw Cade, walked up to him, and put J.R. down.  
“What’s wrong, J.R.?” Cade asked, noticing she had been crying.  
“She was looking- at the computer.”  
“You looked at old records, didn’t you?”  
“Only one, to show everyone there’s still hope,” she explained, trying not to cry again.  
“Show me.”  
J.R. walked back to the building, and Cade followed. J.R. showed him Jayce’s laptop.  
“Ok, I see what you mean, but you know you can’t compare past flare-ups?”  
“Can’t just think Jamie can still fight this?” J.R. ran out of the building and flew off.  
“Great,” Cade watched, displeased at how J.R. reacted.

By now, Crosshairs wasn’t holding Jayce. He laid her on the ground so he could deactivate his holo-form. He was trying to contact Drift. Crosshairs tried for five minutes with no success.  
“Damn it.”  
“What’s wrong,” Jayce asked.  
“Guess who took off again?” Cade said as he walked up to Crosshairs, unaware Jayce was awake.  
“Again!” Jayce said in an angry tone.  
“I didn’t know you were up. Yeah, J.R. took off after...well she can tell you when she comes back,” Cade looked at Crosshairs, wondering if he should say more. Crosshairs shook his head no.  
“I’m done with her shit. She can leave this dimension for all I care,” Jayce said as she got up and walked away.  
“Great. Crosshairs, I’m thinking part of Jadin’s plan was to tear everyone apart while trying to kill Jamie.”  
“If that bastard shows her face, I will kill her,” Crosshairs swore.  
Jayce didn’t care if J.R. came back or left the dimension, but when she couldn’t find Drift, she was concerned. Jayce knew Drift wouldn’t go far and would be back, but Jayce couldn’t believe he left.  
I shouldn’t have told either of them.


	11. A Little Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> J.R. returns still pissed. Jayce asks J.R. what record she was looking at. After comparing the one J.R. found to what Jayce has been recording, the two realize how Jamie may still be critically ill. Meanwhile, Crosshairs finds Drift at the lake. The two terrified they don't get the chance to bring Jamie when this is over. They return to the junkyard and have a conversation with Jayce and J.R. that results in Jayce running off. A little time passes before Crosshairs and Drift tell the others. J.R. joins them. She tells them she tried to show Jayce there's hope Jamie can recover but fails. The others feel more hopeful. Drift soon discovers this is taking more of a toll on Jayce then he though, but she refused to leave the dimension for a few days even though J.R. can take care of Jamie.

J.R. was thinking of finding Drift but decided he needed to be left alone. She flew around for an hour.  
Any longer and Jayce might find out. J.R. thought.  
She returns to the junkyard, thinking no one was around.  
"Well, look who came back," Crosshairs fumed as he walked up to her, "how stupid can you be?"  
"Me? I'm not the one giving up on Jamie. Everyone else has. You have since Jadin attacked!" She yelled, neither knew Jayce was watching. Crosshairs didn't know what to say. J.R. walked away past Jayce and sat on the ground. Jayce walked over and sat next to her.  
"What!" J.R. yelled. Jayce said nothing. She'd wait until J.R. was calm. Hopefully, Drift would return by then. Sure it pissed her off that J.R. left, but They've been friends for years. Jayce was used to J.R's temper. Neither of them heard Crosshairs drive off. Jayce waited ten minutes before saying anything.  
"So, what did you find?" She asked.  
"Useless crap," J.R replied, still angry.  
"Show me."  
J.R. got the laptop and showed Jayce.  
"Maybe...let me look at the daily records for that flare-up." Jayce knew why J.R. was looking at the records.  
"You save the detailed daily records?"  
"Yeah. Do you think I just write a summary after Jamie recovers? Though it's not a good idea to compare, to a point, having detailed records is good. "  
"To a point?"  
"Here, we'll look together. I'll show you what I mean," Jayce showed J.R. the detailed records of the flare-up J.R. was looking at to the current flare-up. There were similarities between the two but also differences.  
"You... damn, you might be right..." Jayce had a hard time saying.  
"I know, Jayce," J.R. put a hand on Jayce's shoulder. They sat in silence.

Crosshairs couldn't find Drift's location, but he knew where he was, knowing Drift wouldn't go far. He activated his holoform, knowing humans would be around. Sure enough, Drift was at the lake—his holoform sitting on the hood of his vehicle mode. Drift didn't hear Crosshairs park next to him. Crosshairs' holoform stepped out and sat next to Drift on the hood of his vehicle mode. Drift was deep in thought to notice.  
"Are you all right?" Crosshairs asked after waiting two minutes for Drift to say something.  
"I see why you keep your distance from Jamie. The longer I stayed with her, the more terrified I became. I had to get away."  
Crosshairs didn't know what to say. The two sat in silence, watching ducks swim in the lake. Instead of thinking they had to bring Jamie here like they were two days ago, they now thought they might not get the chance.

"So, are we going to find them and tell them?" J.R. asked.  
"No need to find them. Easy to guess where they are. We'll wait until they come back. You know why Drift left," Jayce got up and walked out of the building.  
They're hurting, and so are you. J.R. thought as she watched Jayce walk away. I hate there's nothing I can do.

Jayce sat on the roof of a carport, looking at the photos on her phone.  
I can't believe all this is coming undone. Jayce was distracted, looking at the photos, she didn't hear two Autobots walking up to her until she felt a metal hand on her shoulder. Though she didn't think Decepticon, she was still startled and almost dropped her phone.  
"Dang it, Crosshairs, stop doing that," Jayce yelled but was smiling. He took his hand off her shoulder.  
"If you don't like it, then why are you smiling?" He smirked, Jayce laughed. The two mechs smiled until Drift noticed what she was looking at on her phone.  
"Why are you looking at those?" He asked, concerned, "I think that's part of what's causing the nightmares."  
"I know I shouldn't."  
She jumped off the building and walked back to where J.R and Jamie were. The two mechs followed. J.R. was also looking at the photos on her phone.

"They're back," Jayce sat next to her. J.R. put her phone away. The two mechs knelt in front of them.  
"You going to tell them?" J.R. asked. Jayce looked at her with uncertainty.  
"I..I can't. "  
"But you...," J.R. started, but Drift motioned for her not to push Jayce. He wanted to know what they wanted to tell them and why Jayce changed her mind, but J.R. was trying to force Jayce to talk. Drift wanted to encourage her to talk.  
"What did you want to tell us?" He asked in a calm tone. J.R. realized Jayce wanted to talk about something else along with what the two wanted to tell Crosshairs and Drift. She got up, walked to the table, grabbed the laptop, walked back, and sat next to Jayce.  
"Did you change your mind about telling them about this?" She asked as she opened the laptop.  
"Something is bothering you," Crosshairs observed. J.R. was surprised Crosshairs was the one who noticed something else was bothering Jayce and not Drift. Jayce looked at Jamie. She knew what they'd say, but it wouldn't help.  
"You want me to?" J.R. asked. Jayce shook her head no. They waited two minutes before Jayce was ready to talk.  
"I..I'm sorry I told you about what happened yesterday," Jayce apologized, "I hurt both of you more than Jadin did."  
She started tearing up. The two mechs looked at each other, shocked at what she said. J.R. knew she was feeling bad about telling Crosshairs and Drift about Jamie but couldn't believe Jayce thinks she hurt them more than Jadin did. J.R. knew it upset Jayce seeing how Crosshairs and Drift reacted to what she told them, but Jayce should know that's also how humans react to such news.  
"No, Jayce, you did nothing wrong," Drift assured her. He wasn't sure what else to say. What can he say or do to help her?  
"What was it you wanted to tell us, J.R.?" Crosshairs asked though he wasn't sure if he should. J.R. looked at Jayce. Jayce nodded in agreement in between wiping tears. Though J.R. wasn't sure if it was a good idea or even help, she wanted to tell them anyway.  
"What happened yesterday, it wasn't the first time," J.R. got the response she tried to avoid; Crosshairs and Drift had worried expressions.  
"As much of a terrible idea it is, J.R. looked at the record of the last time this happened eight years ago. There are minor differences, but J.R. might be right."  
"And?" Drift asked, knowing there was more.  
"It was a long eight weeks," J.R. replied in a sad tone.  
"I can't take this for seven more weeks," Jayce said as she got up and ran out of the building.  
"Jayce!" J.R. yelled as she got up, but Crosshairs stopped her.  
"Leave her alone."  
J.R. walks away. Crosshairs watched to make sure she will not bother Jayce.  
"What are we going to do?" Crosshairs asked.  
"I have no idea," Drift sighed. Crosshairs left the building, he knew Drift wouldn't follow, but it surprised him Drift wasn't telling him to stay.  
Crosshairs stayed close to the building, waiting for Drift.

Four hours pass before Drift joins him.  
"I think we should tell the others what Jayce and J.R. told us," he suggested; Crosshairs nodded. He knew Drift didn't take four hours to make this decision. They found the others and told them everything.  
"...then she ran out," Drift finished.  
"Damn, I can't believe she feels that way," Hound said in a sad tone.  
"Where is she now?" Cade asked.  
"I don't know. It's strange Jayce hasn't come back yet," Crosshairs replied. Bee pointed to J.R. walking towards them.  
"Have you seen Jayce?" Cade asked.  
"Yeah, over there," she pointed to another storage building. Bee pointed to the storage building Jamie is in.  
"No, she hasn't, Bee. I did it this morning," J.R. knew what he was asking.  
"What?" Crosshairs, Drift, and Cade asked simultaneously.  
"She...she gave up last night," J.R. says in a sad tone.  
Crosshairs and Drift looked at each other, concerned and not sure what to do.  
"I thought of telling her to go back to her dimension. I know everything she knows when it comes to Jamie's care, but she'd say no."  
"Wasn't she the one that-?" Cade started.  
"Yeah, she showed me her detailed records and thought I might be right, but that means this may last seven more weeks. She's not thinking straight, forgetting that everything is uncertain right now. I just wanted to show her, and you guys, that Jamie has survived what happened last night several times," J.R. had guilt on her voice.  
"I get what you were trying to do," Cade assured her.  
"I feel better knowing that Jamie went through this before and can fight it. I wish she didn't have to go through this crap, though."  
"Don't we all, Hound," Cade said.  
"You gave us hope," Drift smiled. J.R. noticed Crosshairs smiling.  
"But not Jayce," J.R. frowned. She was happy to see the Autobots have hope that Jamie will be ok, but Jayce lost hope.  
"I don't think there's anything we can do," Cade stated. They all felt they had to plan if Jayce would neglect Jamie. They were also concerned, this wasn't like Jayce at all. J.R. would take over though Crosshairs and Drift would also talk to Jayce but didn't feel confident that it would help. Everyone went their separate ways except for Crosshairs and Drift.  
"So?" Crosshairs asked.  
"I'm not sure. This is very difficult," Drift answered. Crosshairs sighed in frustration. Drift frowned, noticing Jayce moved.  
"Where'd she go?"  
"You stay with J.R. I'll find her," Drift insisted. This was becoming a delicate situation, and Drift felt each of them should stay with each of the girls, plus Crosshairs wasn't that great with human emotions. By now, it was easy to guess where Jayce would be. Drift was right, Jayce was in a carport. Standing twenty feet from the carport, he realized this was worse than he thought. He activated his holoform and rushed to her.

"Hey, it's ok," he sat on his knees and hugged her. She buried her head on his chest. He was unaware of the items she dropped. Drift knew there was no way Jayce has been crying for the past four and a half hours, but why was she now?

J.R. sat in a chair by Jamie, trying not to think about how much damage Jadin did. She knew she'd just want to fly off, and she can't now. Crosshairs snuck up on her. It was fun, and Jayce always smiled even if she yelled at him. Sure enough, J.R. was startled.  
"Stop doing that!" She yelled, but as Crosshairs expected, she smiled as she was yelling. Crosshairs laughed. J.R. was happy to see him happy and laughing, but it didn't last long. J.R. watched Crosshairs' optics look at Jamie. Crosshairs frowned and walked away. He sat at the entrance of the building against the wall.  
Damn it even after what I said, not even ten minutes ago. Was Crosshairs fake smiling then? And Drift? Did they all fake feeling more hopeful?  
Crosshairs watched J.R. though her back was facing him, he knew what she was thinking.  
I'm sorry, J.R. I know you and Drift want me to be with Jamie more, but I can't see her like that. It hurts too much. I'm amazed Drift can, but I know he's hurting just as much.  
The two sat in silence.

Five minutes pass, and Jayce isn't calming down. There's not much Drift, or anyone can do. Drift noticed what Jayce dropped. Her phone and Jamie's Autobot necklace. The phone screen was off, but he figured Jayce was looking at the same picture she was looking at two nights ago or another of him, Crosshairs and Jamie. He couldn't see for himself at the moment.  
"Jayce, you know Jamie has been through this before, even what happened yesterday. You know she's a fighter."  
She needs to get away from here for a while. Drift thought. J.R. can take over for a while.Drift wanted to see what the picture was that Jayce was looking at. He got the phone and unlocked it. Strange Jayce didn't have a password.  
What? This is the picture she was looking at? It shocked him; Jayce still had a picture of her, J.R., Jamie, and Jadin. He swiped the photos, and sure enough, the next one was the photo she was looking at two nights ago. It was clear how bad Jayce was struggling with this.  
Damn, I can't believe the emotional pain she's in and how she hid it for a week. Is J.R. hiding the pain she feels from Jadin's return?  
Jayce is now coughing from all the crying, but she continued to cry.  
"Come on; you need to get away from here for a while."  
"No, I can't," Jayce sobbed.  
"J.R. can handle it. Come on," he insisted. She didn't argue; maybe she wanted to get away. He picked up her phone and the necklace. They got up and walked to Drift's body. He deactivated his holoform and transformed. Jayce got in, and Drift drove off. Drift texted Crosshairs that he was taking Jayce to the lake. They agreed not to tell J.R. as she'd just worry. Crosshairs would ask about Jayce when they got back.

Crosshairs had left the storage building; J.R. checked Jamie.  
It will be a few days before there are any improvements, but I need to make sure she's not getting worse.

Jayce sat in the driver's seat of Drift's vehicle mode. As Drift expected, there were humans, and he couldn't transform. Jayce didn't want to get out. She was calm, but Drift was unsure how to keep her calm. She sat quietly for a half-hour and watched the sunset before asking to go back. Drift did as she asked though he'd rather they stayed longer.  
Jayce didn't go back to the building Jamie was in when they returned. Drift and Crosshairs watched. Crosshairs was about to say something, but Drift transformed and gestured for him not to.  
"So?" Crosshairs asked when Jayce was out of their sight.  
"It's worse than I thought," Drift sighed. He informed Crosshairs how he found Jayce crying and what most likely led to her crying. Crosshairs didn't know what to say.

Jayce didn't want to see Jamie. She knew J.R could handle it. The fear that Jamie might die was stronger than her hope that Jamie would recover. Drift watched Jayce from a distance for a while before wanting to be with Jamie. He wanted to get Crosshairs to join him. He wasn't surprised to find Crosshairs sitting on a car near the building.  
"Come with me," Drift insisted, taking Crosshairs by the arm, Crosshairs frowned. He knew what Drift wanted. J.R. was nearby and noticed Crosshairs' expression. She was guessing why he wasn't pleased and decided it's time to talk to him.  
"It's a good idea, Crosshairs," J.R. said as she walked up to them. Crosshairs said nothing, "I don't know if you guys will believe this, but I think it's possible that the bond you two have with Jamie could help her fight this."  
"How? If you and Jayce being around her hasn't helped?" Crosshairs asked.  
"It's a theory. Jayce isn't sure there's written evidence, but...," she trailed off, not sure how to explain, "never mind." She gave up trying to explain and walked away.  
"She gives up too quick," Crosshairs observed.  
"She's very stressed."  
"I just hope she doesn't end up with nightmares like Jayce. What are we going to do about that anyway?"  
"I'm not sure. Jayce won't leave this dimension even though J.R. can take over."  
Drift released Crosshairs' arm and walked into the storage building. Crosshairs frowned but didn't want to follow. He sat on a car. By now, several cars were crushed but still made good seats. Crosshairs was bothered by how distracted Drift got.

Crosshairs wasn't surprised Drift stayed with Jamie for four hours. He found it strange that neither of the girls came by. He figured they went to bed even though it was only 10:15. This whole situation was exhausting, especially for Jayce. Crosshairs waited another hour. Strange Drift didn't come out yet, wanting to check on Jayce, and J.R. Crosshairs assumed Drift used his holoform and ended up falling asleep. Crosshairs wanted to make sure he was ok. Sure enough, Drift was using his holoform and fell asleep, holding Jamie's hand. Crosshairs left him alone. He had to find Jayce. He looked all over the junkyard. He found J.R. but not Jayce.


	12. We All Need to Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crosshairs and Drift discover Jayce left the dimension, and J.R. doesn't know why or where Jayce went. J.R. is angry at Jadin for the nightmare she caused. Crosshairs, Drift, and Cade hate how she's dealing with her anger. Cade tells them he'll deal with j.R., which allows Drift to get Crosshairs to sit by Jamie with him. As the day drags on, Drift is concerned about how stressed J.R. is getting, and there's not much anyone can do. Cade tries to help by suggesting Jamie be moved though the plan is for emergencies, J.R. refuses. Bumblebee and Hound grow tired of just watching Jayce and J.R. struggle and want to help even though Cade tells them there's not much they can do. Later that night, the four Autobots and Cade make a plan to allow all of them to help J.R. and Jayce if she comes back.

Crosshairs wasn’t sure what to do; he could not contact Jayce.  
Did she turn off her comm or leave the dimension? He wondered. Sure everyone has suggested Jayce either return to her dimension or go back to Jamie’s. Drift already suggested Jayce leave for a while, and she refused. There’s nothing he can do about it now. Crosshairs stayed with J R.  
Drift found Crosshairs with J.R. three hours later. It was now three A.M.  
“Where’s Jayce?” He asked.  
“I have no idea. I can’t contact her,” Crosshairs replied.  
“She won’t do anything stupid...I hope,” Drift said in a concerned tone.  
“Maybe J.R. knows where Jayce is,” Crosshairs looked at J.R. sleeping, hoping she will not get hit by nightmares like Jayce.

“She left?!” J.R. asked, shocked. It’s early morning, and Jayce hasn’t come back.  
“You didn’t know?” Crosshairs asked.  
“No, shit.”  
“I don’t think we have to worry about her, J.R.,” Drift assured her. J.R. left to do the first check on Jamie.  
“Now, she’s worried,” Crosshairs said.  
“She would have noticed Jayce is gone anyway.”

Great, now Jayce took off. Perhaps left the dimension. J.R. thought, sitting on a chair near Jamie. I’d love to leave and find that bastard, Jadin, but I can’t. Now standing up, J.R. threw the other chair in anger. Crosshairs and Drift heard it. They ran into the building.  
“What the hell?” Crosshairs exclaimed.  
“Stop!” Drift yelled, grabbing J.R.  
“What the hell?” Cade asked as he walked in.  
“You heard that?” Crosshairs asked; Cade nodded.  
“Put me down, Drift!” J.R. yelled as she tried to break free from his grip.  
“Put her down, Drift. I’ll handle it,” Cade insisted. Drift put J.R. down, but before she ran off, Cade grabbed her arm.  
“Come with me,” he insisted. J.R. didn’t fight him to get away. Though would Cade run after her if she did? Maybe. The two left the building.  
Crosshairs tried to leave, but Drift grabbed his arm.  
“You need to be with her.”  
“You believe what J.R. said?” Crosshairs asked.  
“Even if that’s not true, you are her guardian and friend,” Crosshairs didn’t say more or try to leave, “you also want to. Am I right?” Drift smiled, knowing the answer already, “come on.”   
They activated their holoforms, moved two chairs by the bed, and sat by Jamie. They didn’t know Cade and J.R. were watching them.  
Took him long enough, J.R. smiled. The two left before they got caught.

“Are you ok?” Cade asked as they walked away. J.R. was now happy, but the fact she got furious was concerning.  
“How can I be? Jamie almost died. Jayce accepts Jamie will die and left.”   
Cade let her walk away.  
There’s not much we can do to help you or Jayce. He thought as he watched her.

Drift and Crosshairs left the building five hours later. They find J.R. waiting for them.  
“Still, no Jayce?” Drift asks, getting very concerned. J.R. shakes her head no and walks into the building. Cade walks up to them.  
“Jayce still didn’t come back?”  
“No,” Drift tells him.  
“J.R. is getting stressed...or more stressed,” Crosshairs observed.   
“I know,” Drift sighed.  
“Maybe trying to get Jayce to leave was a terrible idea?” Crosshairs pointed out.  
“Maybe, but Jayce refused to go near Jamie yesterday. What if she continued to do that?” Cade emphasized.  
“This keeps getting better and better,” Crosshairs said, “when will this shit end?”  
“Yeah, it would be great if shit stopped going downhill.” Cade agreed.  
Drift was too concerned to be apart of the conversation. He walked away, Crosshairs followed him.

They walked to the end of the junkyard property and sat by the metal fence.   
“You ok?” Crosshairs asked after five minutes of silence.  
“Jayce and J.R. are way too stressed, and I’m not sure how to help them.”  
“Yeah, I hate there’s not much we can do.”  
“At least without endangering Jamie. They could leave, but if Jamie ended up getting worse while they’re away, even with the speed they can fly at, it’s still too risky.”  
Crosshairs nodded in agreement.

Two hours later, J.R. is back in the building.  
Cade watched her walk in and followed her. She just sat in the chair beside Jamie.  
“Remember when you suggested Jamie be moved to another dimension? “he asked as he walked in.  
“Yeah, but I still can’t do that right now. Jamie is too weak, and I wouldn’t even if I could. I can’t take her away from Crosshairs and Drift.”  
“But, you’re getting way too stressed.”  
“You don’t get it, do you?” J.R. walked away.

Cade got into the habit of watching the sunset. It was relaxing after a day of stress. Though he wasn’t as stressed as Jayce and J.R., he still got stressed trying to figure out how to help them. Bumblebee and Hound would ask about Jamie. Cade would tell them and how concerned he is about Jayce and J.R.  
“Damn it, I know we agreed to leave it to Crosshairs and Drift, but I think it’s time we help them,” Hound insisted. Bumblebee agreed.  
“Not much any of us can do, Hound. Crosshairs and Drift are doing all they can, and it’s not working. There’s not much more they can do without taking J.R., and Jayce, if she didn’t leave already, away from here and that’s taking a risk.”  
“We can - take over - for them,” Bumblebee suggested.  
“I don’t know if that would help,” Cade says.   
“We could try,” Hound insisted.  
“Talk to Crosshairs and Drift first,” Cade suggested. They watched Crosshairs and Drift driving off.  
“Now they’re leaving, crap.”  
“I doubt it’s for long, Cade,” Hound assured, “might be good for them to get away from here for a while.”  
J.R. watched Crosshairs and Drift drive off.   
Fuck, not them too.  
She walked out of the building to the end of the property, away from everyone. She got by Cade, Hound, and Bumblebee without them knowing.

Cade returned to the building fifteen minutes later. It surprised him to discover J.R. wasn’t there.  
Does she know they left? He sat in the chair next to Jamie.  
Come on, Jamie, we hate seeing you like this.  
He stayed with Jamie. Concerned, J.R. now gave up.

Crosshairs and Drift returned three hours later. Cade walked to the entrance of the building when he heard their engines. They transformed and walked to him.  
“You’re here, but not J.R.,” Crosshairs observed in a concerned tone and walked away. Drift said nothing as he walked by. Cade knew what Drift was going to do, so he left.  
This is a disaster. Cade thought as he stepped into his trailer.

Crosshairs found J.R. sitting by the fence.  
“Just leave me alone,” she said, trying not to cry as Crosshairs walked towards her.  
“You’re not convincing me you’re ok,” he said as he sat beside her. He watched the tears go down her face. For now, Crosshairs was here for J.R. if she wanted to talk. He’d do nothing right now. J.R. didn’t go anywhere else even when she wanted to sleep. J.R. refused to sleep in the building, which concerned crosshairs.  
She’s the one who tells everyone not to give up hope, but like Jayce, did she? Crosshairs worried.

Drift didn’t come by at all, which Crosshairs found it strange, but he knew where Drift was. Crosshairs left J.R. alone, not sure if she’d be mad knowing he stayed with her all night. He was relieved she hasn’t started having nightmares like Jayce.  
He found Drift near the building, sitting on a car. He sat on the car next to him but said nothing.  
Hound and Bumblebee walk over to them 15 minutes later. They talked to Crosshairs and Drift about helping with J.R. and Jayce if she comes back.  
“Not much we’re doing. J.R. isn’t much of a talker when it comes to talking about emotions. She keeps them bottled up until she can’t anymore. Jayce has been keeping quiet,” Drift informed Bee and Hound.  
“And now that Jayce left, J.R. is stressed. I’m hoping she won’t be hit with nightmares like Jayce,” Crosshairs added.  
“All we can do is watch them and be there if they need us.”  
“Damn, I know you two have been trying to help them for the past ten days. Let Bee and I help.”  
Crosshairs and Drift weren’t sure if this was a good idea or not.  
“It’s a good idea, guys,” Cade walked over to them.  
“J.R. told you about the idea she has?” Crosshairs asked.  
“Yes, though, even if she didn’t, I think you and Drift need to be with Jamie.”  
“Wait, Cade, you thinking-?” Hound asked in an alarmed tone.  
“No, I think they shouldn’t avoid Jamie. J.R. could also be right.”  
Drift agreed to the idea. Everyone didn’t expect Crosshairs to agree since he’s been avoiding being with Jamie except the night Jayce gave them the depressing news, and Drift made him join him yesterday.  
“Now let me ask you two,” Cade started, looking at Bumblebee and Hound, “why do you avoid seeing Jamie?”  
“My fat ass wouldn’t fit in there with the way they have things set up. I wasn’t sure if Jayce and J.R. wanted us in there either,” Hound replied.  
“I thought - the same.” Bee replied  
“Jayce and J.R. wanted Crosshairs and Drift to be with Jamie since day one. I’m sure they’d like it if you two also saw her.”  
“I don’t want to be in their way,” Hound looked at Crosshairs and Drift.  
“No, Jamie is also your friend,” Drift said. They all realized how much of a team- or friend- effort helping Jayce and J.R. was and how though Jamie is unconscious and unaware, they all need to see her. None of the Autobots were sure if what their human friends said about being near Jamie can help her recover could be true but agreed it was a good idea to see her.


	13. Releasing Anger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> J.R. worries seeing the Autobots and Cade gathered early in the morning. Bumblebee and Hound try to tell her they want to help her. Once she checked on Jamie, all the Autobots walked into the building, using their holoforms, to visit Jamie. Bumblebee and Hound don't stay for long to give Crosshairs and Drift time alone with Jamie. J.R. lets her emotions lose though Bumblebee soon finds her vomiting, which concerns Crosshairs. He tries to comfort her the best he can. Cade tries to find notes he can follow to take care of Jamie, which angers Drift. A few hours later, Crosshairs and drift tr tog et J.R. to talk about what she's been keeping bottled up, unprepared for what she says.

Early morning, J.R. noticed the Autobots and Cade waiting for her near the building. She was hoping to find Jayce there as well, but she wasn’t there. Considering the situation, J.R. found it concerning that everyone was waiting for her. Cade noticed her concerned expression as she walked up to him.  
“Everything’s fine, J.R.,” Cade assures her before she asks.  
“Bumblebee and I want to help you-,” Hound starts.  
“There’s nothing you can do,” J.R. interrupted and tried to walk away, but Crosshairs picked her up.   
“Put me down!!” J.R. yelled. Crosshairs had a grip on her so she couldn’t move.  
“No, you need to listen to what Hound and Bee have to say!" He fumed. J.R. couldn’t believe Crosshairs retorted something to her.  
“Easy, Crosshairs, no need to be angry at her,” Drift noticed how shocked J.R. was.  
“We’re your friends too, J.R. We want to help you. We’re here if you want to talk,” Hound tells her, Bumblebee nodded.   
“Let her go, Crosshairs,” Cade instructed. Crosshairs let her go, and as he expected, J.R. walked away into the building, “she knows now we watch her,” Cade finished when J.R. was out of their sight.  
“This is - worse than I thought,” Bumblebee said.  
“I don’t think anyone expected this situation to be this bad, Bee,” Cade says and walks away.  
“We’ll go in when she leaves, use holoforms,” Drift informs Bumblebee and Hound. They both agreed. Drift half expected Crosshairs to walk away, but he also knew Crosshairs wanted to be with Jamie as much as he did. 

J.R. left fifteen minutes later. The Autobots activated their holoforms and entered the building. Bumblebee and Hound couldn’t believe what they were looking at. They stayed back to let Crosshairs and Drift get closer, but Drift insisted they come closer. Bumblebee and Hound stayed for fifteen minutes before deciding to leave. They stopped in front of the building and peeked in. They watched Crosshairs and Drift sit on chairs and hold Jamie’s hand. Drift rested his head on her arm as Crosshairs put a hand on Drift’s shoulder. Bumblebee and Hound walked away. 

“I can’t believe that’s what Jamie goes through,” Hound started when he and Bee were some distance away from the building, “the pain Crosshairs and Drift are feeling.”  
“Also- Jayce - and - J.R,” Bee added.   
“We’ll do our best to help them even though it’s not much,”  
Bumblebee nodded in agreement. 

Crosshairs left the building three hours later, deactivated his holoform, and sat on a car. He knew he was in the habit of leaving Drift alone with Jamie and waiting for him. He let Drift have time alone with her. Crosshairs also felt he had to watch to see if J.R. came back to check on Jamie. He noticed that even though she told everyone not to give up, she was giving up.  
Was it because Jayce gave up and left? Crosshairs wondered. He put a hand on his helm and sighed. Jamie isn’t showing signs of recovering soon, either. 

J.R stayed at the back of the junkyard property away from the others. She just wanted to be left alone, but she knew she couldn’t leave.  
At least no one comes to the back of the property.  
She didn’t have to hide her genuine emotions, J.R. let herself cry.  
This is a fucking disaster. Jayce needs to comes back.  
She wasn’t just letting her emotions from the past two days loose; this was what she kept bottled up for the past two weeks. She only let out a fraction of her emotions the past seven days but still hid most of how she felt. Bumblebee watched her from a distance. He knew she was ok and just needed to be left alone until she started vomiting. Bumblebee walked over to her.  
“Are you - all right?” He asked, more to figure out why she’s vomiting.  
“I’m fine,” J.R. sniffled. Bumblebee saw the tears rolling down her face.  
“No - you’re not. What’s wrong?”  
“Just leave me alone,” She mumbled before vomiting again. Bumblebee left her to find Crosshairs.  
Great, now I can’t get away from them. J.R. thought, watching Bee walk away. 

“...I don’t know what else to do.”  
Bumblebee heard Crosshairs as he walked up to him and Cade.  
“Not much more any of can do.”  
“She’s crying - and - vomiting,” Bee interrupts.  
“What?!” Crosshairs asked, alarmed.  
“She kept most of her emotions bottled up, and now she’s crying hard that she’s vomiting, she’ll be fine,” Cade explains.  
“You call crying to the point she’s vomiting fine?!” Crosshairs yelled before running to the back of the property.  
Drift walks out of the building. He deactivated his holoform before asking why Crosshairs was yelling. After Cade informed Drift about why Crosshairs was yelling, he walked off to find Crosshairs. Cade went into the building, hoping to find notes from Jayce that he could understand.  
I should have taken her offer to teach me some of this. She’s gone, and J.R. is beginning to neglect checking on Jamie. 

“I’m fine, Crosshairs. Go away!!” J.R. yelled.   
“You’re not fine. Bumblebee told me you’ve been crying again and vomiting.”   
Drift watched from a distance, so neither Crosshairs nor J.R. saw him. He has noticed J.R. has been more open to Crosshairs. Maybe not much more than if Drift tried to comfort her himself but enough to help her. Crosshairs took a couple of steps back and activated his holoform.  
This might be what she needs. He thought. Jayce left, and Cade makes her talk.  
He sat next to her, expecting to be yelled at.  
“Come here,” he says as he slid her on to his lap. J R. didn’t fight him. Instead, she leaned on him, “it’s ok,” he said, hugging her. Crosshairs knew she wouldn’t talk. Thinking of the events that happened in the past seven days, he figured out the mess of emotions J.R. is keeping bottled up.  
Damn, and there’s nothing any of us can do.  
He caught Drift walking away but wasn’t mad Drift had been watching. 

Drift headed back to the building but saw Bumblebee.  
“She’s fine, Bee, Crosshairs is with her.”  
“I don’t - think she’s - fine but - I know - there’s nothing we can do,” He followed Drift into the building. Cade was still on Jayce’s computer.  
“Isn’t that - Jayce’s?”  
“Yes, I’m trying to figure out what she does to care for Jamie.”  
“You know she’s been doing that for years. You expect to know just by reading notes?” Drift hissed. Cade didn’t know what to say. He closed the laptop and walked away.  
“No need to - get angry.”  
“I know he wants to help, but he doesn’t know what Jayce does, and reading notes differs from Jayce showing him.”  
“You’re worried - he’ll - harm - Jamie?”   
Drift nodded, “J.R. is already risking Jamie’s life. I know all we can do at this point is monitor Jamie. Jayce does a blood test every other day, which must be a way to know if Jamie is improving when she’s going through a severe flare-up. Sure Cade, or any of us, can do that, but if something serious happens.”  
Bumblebee put a hand on Drift’s shoulder, “I know.”  
He leaves the building.

J.R. ended up falling asleep on Crosshairs. He hated how exhausting this situation is on her and Jayce. She has been sleeping for the past ninety minutes.  
The only time she seems to be calm now. Crosshairs sighed, still worried she’d end up with nightmares. 

J.R. wakes up two hours later. The sun had set.  
“Do you feel better?” Crosshairs asked as J.R. looked at him.  
“No,” J.R. mumbled as she stood up.  
“Come on; I think you need to at least talk to Drift and me, though Hound and Bumblebee want to know what’s going on. We’re here to help you.”  
He took her hand, and they both walked to the building. 

Crosshairs wasn’t surprised to see Drift using his holoform, sitting by Jamie, and had fallen asleep. He didn’t think how upsetting this would be to J.R. She wanted to leave, but Crosshairs stopped her.  
“It’s ok. I think he feels a little better being near her. He spends hours here; he wouldn’t if it upset him more, right?”  
“Maybe," she replied as Crosshairs walked up to Drift.  
“Hey, J.R. is here.”  
Drift looked over at J.R. He got up and walked over to her.  
“I’m fine,” he assured her, “you all right?”  
“No,” She mumbled.  
“Come on, talk to us,” he got her to sit on the ground and sat next to her. Crosshairs sat, so J.R. was between the two of them. They were expecting her to hesitate, but she let loose.  
“I’m angry at Jayce for leaving! I don’t know where she went or if she’s coming back! She gave up on Jamie and left me to care for her! I’m angry at Jadin for showing her face and betraying us! I’m afraid Jamie will die!” She was yelling, and tears rolled down her face. Crosshairs held her as she cried.  
“It’s ok, you know Jamie has been through this before, she’ll be ok," Crosshairs knows he’s said this over and over, but this seemed to work a little, "you need to check on her. I know you haven’t since this morning, and you know that’s not a good idea.”  
They noticed Drift moved closer to Jamie.  
“Later,” J.R. got up and walked away. Crosshairs followed.

“You mean it?” He asked.  
“Yes,” J.R. replied, but this didn’t convince Crosshairs. He still worried she wouldn’t check on Jamie for the rest of the day. He retrieved his Cybertronian form, deactivated his holoform, and took his usual place waiting for Drift. 

J.R. joined him a half-hour later.  
“I’m waiting for Drift to leave,” she said, knowing what Crosshairs would ask. Drift came out fifteen minutes later.  
J.R. walked by him, but he didn’t turn around to follow her.   
“She doesn’t want us there when she’s checking on Jamie,” Crosshairs observed  
“She’s afraid something will be wrong. I’m hoping nothing else is wrong, and if something is wrong, then she’ll tell us," Drift says.  
Crosshairs nodded, "let’s just go in," he said as he stood up.  
“No, leave her alone,” Drift stopped him, “we’ll wait for her.”  
Bumblebee and Hound joined them five minutes later. Crosshairs and Drift told them what J.R. told them.  
“So, now what?” Hound asked.  
“Besides the impossible? I don’t know,” Crosshairs replied. They all didn’t like waiting for J.R. to want to talk. If it meant watching her be distraught as she was today. J.R. came out twenty minutes later. She saw that Bee and Hound joined Crosshairs and Drift. She sat by Crosshairs’ peds.  
“What’s wrong?” He asked.  
“Nothing,” she sighed. They all knew what was bothering her. This is their way of getting her to talk about it.  
“What’s going on?” Cade asks as he walks over.  
“Take her, Crosshairs,” Drift instructed. J.R. let Crosshairs pick her up, and he walked away.  
Cade was even more concerned now that Drift insisted J.R. be taken away before he’s informed about what’s going on. Drift repeated what he told Bee and Hound.  
“She kept all that bottled up?” He asked, shocked.  
“Yes,” Drift sighed and walked back into the building.  
“Damn,” Hound mumbled and walked away.  
“When will this shit end?” Cade thought out loud before going to his trailer. Bumblebee headed in the same direction as Hound. 

Drift left the building to find Crosshairs four hours later. He assumed he’d be with J.R. He wasn’t expecting J R. to be asleep already. Crosshairs was sitting next to her. Drift sat next to him.  
“You don’t have to come here; I got it.“  
“I wanted to make sure J.R. was ok…or as ok as she can be.”  
“Until morning,” Crosshairs sighed.   
“Cade wanted to take over after reading Jayce’s notes.”  
“He doesn’t get how dangerous that is with this severe flare-up?” Crosshairs yelled in an angry tone, forgetting he was next to J.R. He waited to see if she’d wake up, but she didn’t, “she’s a heavy sleeper.”  
“Most likely because she’s exhausted.”  
The two mechs got a little recharge while J.R. slept.


	14. Jayce Returns With Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> J.R. is up early and immeditly goes to check on Jamie, not liking how she's doing. She doesn't know Crosshairs and Drift were watching her until Crosshairs tushes into the building o comfort her while Drift wakes up Cade. Drift stands at the entrence of the building, waiting to find out what's going on but J.R. is too distraught to say anything and that worries him. He rushes intot he building to sit by his girl. Crosshairs watches the tears roll down Drift's face, trying not to think about why his two friends would be distraught. A few minutes pass before Hound is yelling at a intruder, but it turns out to be Jayce. Jayce finally returns and with a friend. niether liking the situation. Jayce and the friend have to tell everyone unfavorable news.

J.R. woke up as the sun rose. She saw the two sleeping mechs, got up, and walked away.  
Good, I doubt they’ve recharged much the past few days. I know they’ll want me to check on Jamie. Only five-thirty A.M, it's going to be a stressful day. Where the fuck are you, Jayce?  
J.R. sat at the table, reviewing the notes from yesterday morning before moving the chair next to Jamie. She grabbed her hand.  
Shit. Jamie’s hand felt warm. J.R. looked at the monitor.  
No, no, no. J.R began crying, not knowing Crosshairs and Drift are watching. She slipped off the chair to her knees.  
“Shit, this isn’t good,” Drift left to get Cade though he didn’t want to at five in the morning. Crosshairs activated his holoform and ran to J.R. He sat on his knees beside her and hugged her. J.R. hugged him, burying her head on his chest.  
“What’s wrong?” He asked, but J.R. was distraught to answer. Cade runs in, “she’s too distraught to say anything,” Crosshairs tells him as he walks up to Jamie.  
“Oh shit,” Cade exclaimed as he read the monitor. Drift, now using his holoform, stood at the entrance and watched, terrified.  
“J.R., how serious is this?” Cade asked, but she still wouldn’t answer. Cade walked away; he didn’t want to force her to talk.  
Drift tried to wait until J.R. could tell him what the problem is but he couldn’t. He ran into the building, taking his usual place by Jamie. He held her hand, feeling how warm it was, which terrified him more. Crosshairs noticed tears going down Drift’s face and wondered if this is what he does every time he sits by Jamie or just now? He tried not to think about why two of his friends are in distress to avoid becoming distressed himself.  
“Who’s there?” Crosshairs hears Hound yell five minutes later. Crosshairs couldn’t see what was going on and couldn’t move to get a better look.  
“Whoa, it’s just me,” a voice says.  
“Jayce? It’s about time,” Hound scolded.  
He tells her how stressed J.R. has been in the past two days.  
“What?!” Jayce runs to the building. Hound follows her. They both didn’t expect to see Crosshairs and J.R. on the ground, J.R. crying, and Drift near Jamie, crying. Jayce didn’t know the Autobots’ holoforms could do that. She wondered if they could cry in their Cybertronian form?  
“What the...,” She couldn’t say anything more as she read the monitor.  
“It’s about time you came back. You have no idea how stressed J.R. has been,” Crosshairs scolded. By now, J.R. stopped crying, but tears continued to roll down her face.  
“And Drift?” Jayce asked.  
“Until now, he’s been concerned about J.R. Whatever she just found out has him worried,” Crosshairs explained, trying to be calm.  
“Who the hell are you?” Cade yells. Jayce runs out of the building.  
“She’s a friend, Cade, and...” Jayce trailed off, not knowing what else to say.  
“Bulma,” the blue-haired woman says before walking to the building, Jayce following her.  
Cade and Hound knew who the woman was, but still, furious Jayce left without telling them.

Bulma and Jayce stood close enough to Jamie to read the monitor without disturbing Drift. Crosshairs and J.R. watched Bulma and Jayce.  
“Well?” Jayce asked. Bulma  
“We need to do a blood test.”  
Bulma wasn’t sure who the man by Jamie was, but she saw how upset he was and hated she would have to ask him to move. Jayce also hated having to do that. Jayce walked up to Drift and put a hand on his shoulder.  
“Can you step aside just for a minute?” She asked. Drift could tell by her voice that she didn’t want to disturb him.  
“It’s fine,” he took her hand, stood up, and the two stood by Bulma. Jayce was getting worried watching Bulma. Instead of drawing blood, she was doing a full check on Jamie then drew blood. Jayce figured it was what Bulma wanted to do since she just got here, but she still worried. She hugged Drift, and he hugged her back. While he would try to comfort the girls, he couldn’t now. He was too worried himself that if he said anything, he’d be lying. They watched Bulma for fifteen minutes before Bulma turned to face them.  
“Do you want to get the others?” She asked them. Drift and Jayce looked at each other, Drift nodded.  
“Yeah,” Jayce replied before looking at J.R., who was no longer watching them, “should we get Crosshairs?”  
Drift looked at J.R. Crosshairs had been watching them, he shook his head no.  
“I’ll tell him later, come on," Drift tells them.  
The three leave the building. Jayce did her best to avoid looking at Crosshairs and J.R.  
They gathered at a carport away from the building.  
“What’s going on?” Hound asked.  
“Is Jamie..,” Drift trailed off. Bulma wasn’t sure why Drift seemed more concerned than the others, but she knew they were Jamie’s friends. She looked at Jayce, uncertain if she should continue. Jayce nodded.  
I want to say don’t tell them, but they want to know.  
“Jamie has a high-grade fever, 105° isn’t good, and the chemical level is the highest I’ve seen even after...” She trailed off, not knowing if she should continue.  
“It’s the same as when we got back from Jadin’s hideout,” Jayce added.  
Drift couldn’t hear anymore and ran off. Bulma didn’t understand why he was running off. She noticed that it upset Jayce.  
“What... what will happen?” Cade had a hard time asking.  
“It’s uncertain,” Bulma frowned, “I thought we were past this level of not knowing.”  
“Not with that bastard,” Hound commented.  
“Why’d you leave, Jayce? At least without telling us?” Cade tried to change the subject.  
“To ask Bulma if she could create a way for the Autobots to help care for Jamie or if I’m not with her. You saw Crosshairs and Drift. In this situation, they forgot about holoforms also in the event you guys couldn’t use them. That bastard will be back. You guys need Autobot sized equipment, and I know Bulma can come up with something. I’m sorry, I didn’t think J.R. would end up very stressed if I left,” she runs off.  
“I’ve never seen her like that,” Bulma comments.  
“It’s been a long, stressful twelve days,” Cade sighed and walked towards the building.  
“Who are those two?” Bulma asked Hound. Hound knew she was talking about Crosshairs and Drift’s holoform.  
“Those are holoforms. The one with J.R. is Crosshairs, his Cybertronian form is over there,” Hound points to the green and black Cybertronian form, “the other one is Drift; his Cybertronian form is over there,” he points to the samurai’s Cybertronian form, “I’m Hound, and this is Bumblebee,” he points to Bumblebee, “we all have holoforms. Crosshairs and Drift have been using theirs a lot lately."   
No one questioned why Jayce couldn’t wait until Jamie recovered from this flare-up to ask Bulma to make Autobot sized equipment. They were all too worried about Jamie’s decline.

Cade didn’t see Crosshairs or J.R., but Crosshairs’ Cybertronian form was still standing at the entrance.  
He must have taken her away from here. Cade thought.  
Cade took his usual place beside Jamie. He just stared at her until Bulma came in.  
“Is someone always sitting by her?” Bulma asked.  
“I stay for two to three hours, but Crosshairs and Drift stay for five hours. They stayed away from here for the first eight days, but...,” he trailed off.  
“I know, I would like to tell everyone she won’t again, but it’s uncertain.”  
She sat at the table and reviewed Jayce’s notes.

“You ok now?” Crosshairs asked J.R.  
“No, but go find Drift.”  
I can’t leave her alone now, and I can’t bring her with me. Even though she knows what’s going on, she’ll get upset hearing me tell Drift and his reaction.  
“You want me to sit with her?” Hound asked from behind him.  
“Go ahead," J.R. Insisted. Crosshairs stood up and walked away as Hound sat next to J.R.  
“So, how’d Drift take what’s happening?” J.R. asked after five minutes of silence. Hound wasn’t sure if he should answer, knowing she’d be saddened.  
That’s ok, Hound, I know how he took it, and Crosshairs will be the same way.

No longer using his holoform, Crosshairs searched for Drift.  
I doubt he’d leave, so he must be at the back of the property.  
Sure enough, that’s where Drift was. He also wasn’t using his holoform. Crosshairs sat next to him, waiting for him to say something.  
“Is J.R. all right?” Drift asked after five minutes of silence.  
“She said she’s not ok but insisted I find you. Hound’s with her,” Crosshairs sighed, “what’s going on?” He said in a sad tone. Drift informed him, the two mechs now were in a state of despair.


	15. Still Under a Lot of Stress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone but Jayce and J.R. agreed to leave Crosshairs and Drift alone the past three days. The two girls have been secretly watching the two mechs or thinking no one knows they've been watching the two mechs. Bulma and Cade talk about how the girls won't leave the two mechs alone, and Cade discovers why Jayce left at a bad time and that she didn't ask Bulma to come help take care of Jamie. Cade tries to get the two girls to leave Crosshairs and Drift alone, but the two mechs hear him. Crosshairs and Drift quickly discover how much the two girls needed them. Though, for now, Jayce is struggling more than J.R., and Drift feels terrible about what she's been dealing with. Everyone discovers what the two girls have been having nightmares about and how they feel about everyone trying to help them.

Three days have passed. Crosshairs and Drift stay away from everyone. Everyone, besides Jayce and J.R., agrees to leave them alone. Jayce insists J.R. goes back to her dimension for a break after the stress she's been in while Jayce was away, but she refused. Bulma gives them a break from watching Jamie to help them destress and not watch how Jamie is still declining. Still, the girls observe Crosshairs and Drift, which upsets them just as much as watching Jamie. Unknown to them, Cade has been watching them.

"They've been watching Crosshairs and Drift?" Bulma asked.  
"Yeah, though we told them not to. Jayce hates seeing them upset. She refused to tell them anything about Jamie-."  
"Until she flatlined, I know. Jayce told me everything though I think it was more venting than telling. She didn't ask me to help care for Jamie but, listening to her, I knew I had to come. I think she wanted to destress away from the junkyard and ask me to make Autobot sized equipment."  
"That explains her poor timing leaving."

"So, what are we going to do?" J.R. asked, whispering.  
"I don't know, but I want to do something," Jayce whispered. They were watching Crosshairs and Drift from behind a pile of cars.   
"I don't understand. Jamie flatlined, and they spent most of their time near her. Now she has a setback, and they stay away."  
"I think they did it out of fear at first, then you gave them hope, but now it's gone. There's nothing to show them there's still hope this time."  
"You two are giving yourself more stress," Cade says from behind them.  
"Shut it, Cade," Jayce whispered, but Crosshairs and Drift heard him. Jayce ran off. J.R. and Cade watched, confused.  
"What did you do, Cade?" Crosshairs asked from behind him as he and Drift watched Jayce run off.  
"Me? They're the ones watching you two even though Bulma, Bumblebee, Hound, and I agreed to leave you two alone." Cade walks away, knowing Crosshairs and Drift would have him leave anyway. Unknown to them, J.R. already left. The two mechs went to talk to Bulma. She told them how she was trying to get Jayce and J.R. to take a break, hoping to keep them from adding to their stress but said nothing about Jamie. They didn't ask either.  
This is a disaster, and they've been dealing with this for twelve days. I wish I could tell them Jamie will be ok. I see part of why Jayce is so stressed this time plus Jadin's return and how she wanted to trigger a severe flare-up. Bulma watched the two Autobots walk away.

Jayce is still having nightmares and only gets four hours of sleep before being woken up by them. Since Bulma keeps them out of the building, Jayce gets some sleep during the day, but still not a lot. She's only been able to get four hours of sleep in the past twenty-four hours. Jayce kept her stress to a minimum the first two days since she got back, but within the past twenty-four hours, she became very stressed. She goes to the spot she's been sleeping at the back of the property. She lays down on the ground and has no problem falling asleep.  
Drift finds her ten minutes later, but instead of waking her, he sits beside her.  
I'm sorry, Jayce. We weren't there for you for the past three nights.  
He wasn't sure how much sleep she's gotten the past three days, but he was sure it was very little.

J.R. sat leaning on the fence. She wanted to leave but also didn't even though Bulma seemed to have taken over.  
"There you are," Crosshairs walked up to her.  
"Go away!" J R. Yelled, sadness in her voice. She's trying not to cry but starts tearing up as she yelled at Crosshairs. J.R. was feeling a mix of emotions, and like Jayce, she was tired.  
Crosshairs wanted to make sure Drift found Jayce and that she was ok. Drift sounded disappointed as he told Crosshairs Jayce is sleeping. Crosshairs knew why Drift is disappointed and why Jayce was asleep at nine forty-five A.M. He activated his holoform when he finished talking to Drift.  
"Come here," Crosshairs moved J.R. onto his lap. This was something J.R. wanted the past three days, but she wanted to leave Crosshairs and Drift alone. She buried her head on Crosshairs' chest as he hugged her. She was trying not to cry.  
"You can't keep your emotions bottled up. You're just making yourself more stressed."

Drift informed Hound about the girls and asked him to tell Bulma and Cade.  
"We should have done more to help them the past three days," Hound regretted how he didn't think the girls would need more support.  
"How?" Cade asked, "Crosshairs and Drift have been doing all they can to help them."  
Everyone besides Bulma was losing hope. Though she didn't know if Jamie would survive otherwise, she'd tell them. Maybe it's because she's only been here for three days? Or because she watched Jamie come close to death several times already.

Cade continued to sit by Jamie. He found it strange Bulma didn't think he was under a lot of stress. Still, Cade knew compared to Jayce and J.R.; his stress was low. Cade wonders if Bulma thinks he doesn't understand the specifics about Jamie's illness.  
Cade watched the monitor, hoping something has changed, but nothing has changed.  
"You know what all that means?" Bulma asked after watching him for two minutes. She was sitting at the table.  
He nodded. "I know enough to know what's going on. The high level of the chemical is causing a slow heart rate and high temperature. I've figured out how a rise in body temperature means either Jamie is fighting this or the chemical level is high."  
Bulma was surprised Cade knew so much.  
"And the chemical is what...," he trailed off. No one likes to talk about how Jamie flatlined.  
Bulma nodded.  
"Jamie wasn't getting better the first seven days, was she?"  
"It was a minuscule amount. The level of the chemical is increasing faster than the body can handle."  
Cade looked at Jamie.  
It could happen again. Cad feared. Bulma watched as Cade held Jamie's hand.  
"Come on, Jamie, fight this."

Drift is using his holoform, sitting next to Jayce. Hound had informed him how he had seen Jayce up most of the night since she came back. Also, how he wasn't sure if he could help as Crosshairs and Drift can. Drift figured she was still having nightmares. He was wondering if she was dealing with the nightmares alone until he heard Jayce moaning. He held her on his lap, trying to wake her.  
"No!" She screamed before crying.  
What is happening in the nightmare that's terrifying her? Drift wondered.  
"Jayce, it's ok. It's me, Drift," he hugged her close to him, hoping to wake her, which worked. She woke up, bawling.  
Whatever she was dreaming about this time, it's more upsetting. Drift thought. He wasn't sure how to calm her this time. He and Crosshairs agreed to let Jayce talk about the nightmares if, and when, she wanted to, assuming they've been different then what she told them five days ago. Drift had to get Jayce to calm down. He was hoping to get her to calm before she started vomiting, as J.R. did a few days ago. Jayce began calming down within five minutes. Drift assumed it was because she's exhausted. He was hoping she'd fall back asleep for a while. He tried to lay her on the ground to fall asleep, but she tightened her grip on his arms.  
"No," She cried.  
Something in her nightmare terrified her—this concerned Drift.  
It didn't take long before she fell asleep in his arms.

J.R. fell asleep on Crosshairs and has been sleeping for two hours. Crosshairs was thinking, how long will Jayce sleep before she wakes up from a nightmare? He forgot he had been concerned about J R. having nightmares until he heard her cry out 'no.' He felt her tremble before waking up, crying.  
What is this nightmare that has you so upset? Is it the same as Jayce's?  
"It's ok; you're safe." Though he wasn't sure if the nightmare was about a fight or Jamie, he worried she was dealing with nightmares the past three days.  
We're both of them dealing with nightmares alone? Shit.  
Unknown to both mechs, Cade has been watching each of them for a few minutes each, concerned about how both girls are struggling, though he's more concerned about Jayce.

Jayce gets two more hours of sleep before waking up.  
"You ok?" Drift asked though he knew she wasn't. He was asking to make sure she would not hide how she's feeling.  
"No," she replied. Jayce is hungry but didn't want to move. Though she remembers the bond between Drift and Jamie and how that could end, she found comfort being with him. Enough to feel a little less stressed. Drift's concern about the girls is growing.  
"Come on; you need to eat." He said as they stood up. He deactivated his holoform. They walked to the primary area where Cade's trailer and the building they shelter Jamie is located. Crosshairs and J.R. are already there. Crosshairs gave Drift a concerned look. They got the girls to eat.  
"This is worse than we thought," Crosshairs started.  
"I Know," Drift sighed. They had to talk to Cade and Bulma while the girls are occupied.

"Oh, wow, I didn't know they were in that much emotional pain," Bulma said in a sad tone. She, Cade, Crosshairs, and Drift were talking in front of the storage building. Far enough that the girls didn't hear them but close enough so Drift and Crosshairs can watch them.  
"They're stressed and becoming emotionally drained," Crosshairs explained.  
"We failed them the past three days," Drift expressed the guilt he was feeling.  
"No, Drift, it's not your fault," Cade assured him.  
"They may feel better being with you two, but they are still stressed and upset. Though it's good, Jayce and J.R. feel even a little better with you two." Bulma explained.  
"What about their nightmares?" Crosshairs asked. Drift knew that meant J.R. ended up having a nightmare today and wondered if they started at least three days ago. They both explained how the girls reacted to what their nightmare was about, but they didn't know what their nightmares are about that's terrifying them. Bulma and Cade couldn't believe how upset the girls got after a nightmare.  
"Come on, let's try to get them to talk about it.' Bulma insisted.

The girls haven't said a word the past ten minutes.  
"I..I think I'm leaving," Jayce hesitated telling J.R.   
Bulma, Cade, Crosshairs, and Drift were watching them, hidden behind the half-covered carport.  
"I can't take watching Jamie anymore. It's not looking good."  
"You having that nightmare too?" J.R. asked. Jayce nodded before J R. could talk about her nightmare. She didn't bother questioning how Jayce knows.  
"I don't want to be here...when it happens," Tears rolled down Jayce's face.  
"Oh shit, that's what their nightmares have been about," Cade exclaimed.  
Jayce sighed, "come on; let's just go now."  
She waited for J.R. to reply but, J.R. wasn't sure.  
Drift and Crosshairs looked at each other before moving towards the girls. Bulma and Cade followed.  
"Yeah, let's go," J.R. and Jayce started getting up.  
"Stop!" Drift yelled. The girls stopped. Drift knelt beside Jayce, Crosshairs beside J.R. Bulma, and Cade sat across from the girls.  
"No, I can't take it anymore. I don't want to be here..." She couldn't finish before bawling. Drift picked her up and walked away. The others watched. They couldn't believe the emotional pain she is feeling. That had to mean J.R. was feeling the same way. Bulma and Cade walked away. J.R. watched them walk to the building before walking away. Crosshairs followed her, expecting her to yell at him, but she didn't. She went back to the spot she and Crosshairs were most of the day. She leaned against the fence and slid down. Crosshairs stood near her. He wanted to wait until he talked to Drift before using his holoform.

Drift returned to the spot he and Jayce have been. He put Jayce on the ground. He sent Crosshairs a text that they must talk about this later before activating his holoform. He sat on the ground beside Jayce, moved her to his lap and hugged her close as she hugged him and continued to cry.

Damn it. What can we do? I hate all we can do is watch them cry. Crosshairs thought reading Drift's message. J.R. was sitting quietly. Crosshairs activated his holoform and sat next to J.R., hoping she's not keeping emotions bottled up.

"What are we going to do?" Cade asked Bulma.  
"I have no idea. I can't say anything to change their mind. I don't think leaving would help them either. They'd be dealing with their stress and nightmares alone until they're told some kind of news about Jamie. Crosshairs and Drift comfort them."  
"You don't think this will be a repeat of after Vegeta tried to kill Jamie?" Cade asked, fear in his voice.  
"I wish I knew. I wish I could say no, but I'm not sure. I hope not."   
She checked on Jamie. Both were hoping for something good, but nothing changed. Cade took his place beside Jamie when Bulma finished.  
I was hoping to take some stress off Jayce and J.R. By taking over. I didn't know they were this stressed. Bulma thought as she sat at the table to record Jamie's vitals.

Jayce calmed and was trying not to fall asleep. It's late afternoon, but she was also afraid to sleep now. Drift knows Jayce is exhausted, but she won't let him lay her down on the ground.

Bumblebee and Hound saw how Jayce and J.R. are doing before finding Cade. He told them how the two are thinking about leaving. They hated how there's nothing anyone can do.

Jayce and J.R. left Crosshairs and Drift for awhile. The mechs didn't want to leave them alone for long if they're hurting that bad and considering leaving.  
"They gave up, and I can't believe it," Drift sighed.  
"And you two?" Cade asked.  
"I don't know," Drift tells him in a sad tone. That was also Crosshairs' answer. They weren't sure if they'd lose their friend, but they were afraid to see her or hear how she was doing. They walked away.  
"You don't think the girls will do anything stupid?" Cade asked Bulma. She knew Cade meant if they'd do self-harm.  
"I don't know. Jayce and J.R. have never had to deal with a situation like this. They met Jamie years afters Vegeta tried to kill her and weren't with her the other times she had a severe flare-up."

"Are we still getting out of here?" J.R. asked. Crosshairs and Drift heard her, but they stopped and listened. Jayce should have seen them, but she was so exhausted that she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open.  
"I don't know," Jayce sighed, "you feel a little better being with Crosshairs, don't you?"  
J.R. nodded, "and you do with Drift."  
Jayce nodded, "but I feel like we're just a burden at this point."  
"No, Jayce, you two are hurting, and we're your friends. You're not a burden," Drift assured her.  
Jayce and J.R. walked away. The two mechs didn't follow; they figured the girls needed to be left alone for a while.  
"They're getting worse every day," Crosshairs observed.  
"I just hope they will not hurt themselves."  
"I just saw Jayce and J.R. Are they ok?" Hound says as he walks up to them. Crosshairs and Drift tell him what they found out.  
"....I think we just use holoforms at this point." Drift finished.  
"Funny, Crosshairs was against even making a holoform, and now he'll be using it for a while," Hound laughed.  
"It would be great if it was for a better reason," Crosshairs frowned. They transformed and parked in the carport before activating their holoforms and going off to find the girls.  
Bumblebee joined Hound.  
"Let's go see Jamie if Bulma will let us." Hound suggested. Bee agreed.

"Bulma, can Bee and I come in?" Hound asked at the entrance. Bulma hesitated.  
"Let them Bulma. They've seen Jamie like this already," Cade insisted.  
"Sure, Hound," she figured they'd use their holoforms. Cade moved so they could be near Jamie. Hound asked Bulma what was going on and if she knows if Jamie will be ok. She told them everything.  
"...I thought you told them?" She asked Cade.  
"It looked like you didn't want anyone but me to know."  
"I don't want Jayce and J.R. to know or see Jamie." She explained.  
"What about Drift and Crosshairs?" Hound asked.  
"I noticed that they don't even come near here. They're just as upset as Jayce and J.R. but if they want to...I don't know," Bulma was expecting them to ask if Jamie would survive, but they could tell she wasn't sure.

By 8 P.M., Jayce is having a hard time staying awake but still afraid to sleep. Drift couldn't believe she stayed awake this long. She was too tired to fight him when Drift laid her on the ground. J.R. laid next to her. Even J.R. couldn't believe Jayce is still awake. Crosshairs sat next to Drift.  
"Do you want to go see Jamie?" He asked. "should be fine for at least two hours."  
"I don't know."  
"I know you want to."  
Crosshairs is right; Drift wanted to see Jamie, but he hated how she's not doing good. He knew Bulma was unsure about what will happen. Sure he spent a lot of time with her after Jamie flatlined, but now he was afraid to now. Drift felt a hand on his shoulder.  
"Jamie needs us too."  
Drift nodded, got up, and walked away. J.R. watched him for a minute.  
"You sure that was a good idea?"  
"I thought you wanted us to be with her?"  
"I don't know if that's a good idea anymore." She laid back down, her back facing Crosshairs.

Drift caught Bumblebee and Hound leaving the building.  
"Hey, you all right?" Hound asked.  
"Crosshairs insisted I see Jamie."  
Bumblebee and Hound could tell Drift was unsure if he wanted to see Jamie right now.  
"I want to, but I hate seeing how she's not doing good."  
"He's right, but I don't think he minds if it's just for ten minutes if that's all you can do right now."  
"Do you think J.R. is right?"  
"I'm not sure if she's right or not, but I think you want to see Jamie more than you're afraid to see her."  
"All right," Drift walked into the building and took his usual place. Bumblebee and Hound left him alone.  
"Let's get - Crosshairs - to join him," Bumblebee insisted.  
"What about Jayce and J.R.? You know how bad their nightmares were this afternoon."  
"That's how - we can help them. We'll take over- while - Crosshairs- and - Drift - are with - Jamie."  
"All right, we can try."

They knew where the girls and Crosshairs were.  
"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Crosshairs asked, whispering.  
"Is Jayce asleep?" Hound whispered.  
"Yeah, they both are."  
"Go join Drift; we'll watch them."  
"Are you sure? J.R. was easy to wake up today, but she might not be. Jayce can be hard to wake up, and well, I don't think he can help," he pointed to Bumblebee, who gave him a look of disgust.  
"It'll be fine. You know we'll get either of you if we're having a hard time," Hound assured.  
"Fine," Crosshairs sighed, got up, and walked away.


	16. Nocturnal Panic Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crosshairs and Drift sit by Jamie but for a short period before sitting at the back of the junkyard, away from everyone. The returned to the girls, Bee, and Hound to find Jayce having a panic attack and Hound struggling to calm her down. J.R. hates watching but hesitates to leave when Crosshairs and Drift come back. Eventually, the two girls fall asleep. The next morning, Hound sits with Jayce so that Drift could sit by Jamie. He sees Bulma leave the building, troubled. Hound looks in the building and sees how upsetting this is for Drift. A little later, Crosshairs and Drift talk about taking Jayce and J.R. away from this situation, which Bulma strongly objects to. Meanwhile, the two girls are eating when Jayce passes out. With Jamie in critical condition, everyone can't help but worry.

Hound watched the two girls hoping they'd be able to sleep tonight. Not because he doubted he and Bumblebee could help the girls but because he hated how they were having nightmares, and how Jayce is afraid to sleep because of them.

Crosshairs moved a chair next to Drift's and sat down.  
"What are you doing here?" Drift asked.  
"Hound insisted I join you, though I don't think they can handle the girls. I told him how difficult Jayce is to wake up."  
"I can't stay here much longer; I hate this."  
Crosshairs noticed that Drift wasn't holding Jamie's hand. He always did and always felt a little better when he held it. Crosshairs held her hand but released it. He hated how warm it was.  
This is what a very sick human feels like, damn.  
"I'm leaving," Drift said with sadness in his voice. Crosshairs watched him walk away.  
Not even five minutes, damn it.

Even Crosshairs couldn't stay much longer. He stayed for five more minutes before returning to where the girls, Bee and Hound were.  
"Where's Drift?" He whispered.  
"He's not with Jamie?" Hound asked, whispering.  
"No, he stayed for five minutes. I had to leave soon after," Crosshairs frowned, "I'll leave him alone for a while."

Crosshairs left Drift alone for an hour, half expecting him to come back. When he didn't, Crosshairs left to find him though he was sure he knew where Drift was.  
"Isn't that Jayce's phone? How did you get it?" He asked as he sat next to Drift.  
"It was easy. I had to, Jayce makes herself more upset by looking at the pictures on here. I was going to give it to Bulma."  
"And you're not making yourself more upset?" Crosshairs noticed Drift was looking at the same photos Jayce has been looking at.  
"Yes," Drift sighed, put the phone down, and they sat in silence. It wasn't long before they thought about going back to where the girls were. Though they knew Hound was trying to get them to either take a break or be with Jamie.

Damn it; I was hoping she'd get more sleep. Four hours is very little. Hound watched Jayce toss and turn for a minute before holding her, trying to wake her before she ended up crying and before J R. woke up. He didn't expect her to wake up, hyperventilating. He felt her heart racing. Bumblebee and Hound looked at each other.  
"Easy, Jayce, it's ok."  
Neither Bumblebee nor Hound noticed that J.R. woke up. She watched Jayce, shocked at how upset she was.  
I knew you were having nightmares that wake you up, but I didn't think they terrifyed you this much.  
She started tearing up when Jayce started bawling. Bumblebee sat next to her.  
"Help Jayce, Bee."  
Bumblebee moved J.R. into his lap and hugged her. Though J.R. wanted Crosshairs, she let herself cry as she watched Jayce.  
Not only is she afraid, she's having a panic attack, shit.

J.R. waited five minutes before thinking maybe she should get Drift. Though there's not much either mech can do, J.R. thought because Jayce is more comfortable with Drift, he can calm her sooner. She tried to get up, but Bee didn't release her.  
"I think we should get Drift," she told him, Bee shook his head no.

Crosshairs and Drift return five minutes later.  
Crap Drift thought seeing Jayce.  
"How long has she been like that?" Drift asked.  
"Twelve minutes," Hound replied.  
Crosshairs walked up to Bee and J.R.  
"Are you ok?" He asked J.R.  
"Better than Jayce."  
Crosshairs sat next to Bee, "good job, Bee."  
Though he wasn't sure what happened, it surprised him J.R. is as calm as she is.

"You want to take her?" Hound asked.  
"No, it's fine. Jayce takes a while," Drift sat in front of Bee and J.R.  
"Take her Drift. She's having a panic attack, and she's terrified," J.R. urged.  
She wasn't sure if Jayce would calm down with Hound or she wanted Drift. Drift sat on his knees in front of J.R. and put his hands on her shoulders.  
"It's ok; Hound's got it."  
He saw how worried J.R. was. He got up and sat next to Hound.  
"Come on," Crosshairs got up and extended his hand to J.R. She didn't want to go, though she can't help Jayce. She took Crosshairs' hand, and they walked away. Crosshairs wanted to get J.R. away before she became more upset and to get J.R. to go back to sleep.

Five minutes later, Jayce is coughing.  
"Take her. You'll do better calming her," Hound insisted. Hound put Jayce on the ground and stood up. Before Drift sat next to her, Jayce vomited, she vomited on the ground then started coughing. Drift sat next to her, put her on his lap and hugged her tight.  
"You're ok," he knew what the nightmare was about or at least part of it.  
Bee and Hound watched, hating how the nightmares are getting worse and whatever this one was about frightened Jayce. They both thought she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. Jayce calmed down five minutes later. Hound isn't bothered by how Drift had better luck getting her to calm down. Drift wanted to get Jayce back to sleep. As he expected, Jayce grabbed his arms so he couldn't lay her down. Bumblebee and Hound left Drift and Jayce alone.  
They wanted to see if J.R. was ok after watching Jayce.

Bumblebee and Hound found Crosshairs and J.R. laying down. They figured Crosshairs was trying to get her to fall asleep. He stood up when he noticed them.  
"She's asleep...for now."  
"She's doing better than Jayce."  
"For how long?"  
Crosshairs was frustrated. They all knew J.R. might end up having a nightmare like Jayce, and now she has them. Now they worried she'd end up having a panic attack like Jayce. Crosshairs is also concerned about Jayce but couldn't leave J.R.  
"How was Jayce when you left?"  
Hound answered his question, and as Hound expected, Crosshairs hates what he's told.  
"Great. Maybe Drift and I should have let her leave, but we weren't sure if she'd still have nightmares, and she'd be alone."  
"No, you two made the right decision. You're both doing all you can for Jayce and J.R., but you two need to be with Jamie. I don't know if J.R. is right or not, but what if she is?"  
"And if she's wrong?"  
"You two won't know if you avoid Jamie. I know you're both terrified, we all are." Hound and Bee walk away. Crosshairs sat down next to J.R. and thought about what Hound said.

Two-thirty A.M., Jayce is calm enough that Drift could lay her down on the ground. She was exhausted, but he knew she'd fight going to sleep.  
Jayce tried not to sleep, but she lasted five minutes before falling asleep.  
Please let her sleep for a while.

J.R woke up when the sun rose. She got up and walked away, Crosshairs followed.  
"Leave Jayce alone; she might be sleeping. Come on, you need to eat."  
As Crosshairs expected, J.R. didn't eat much. It was more like a snack. Crosshairs knew he wouldn't be able to get her to eat more. Hound and Bumblebee join them five minutes later. They are no longer using holoforms. Hound knew Crosshairs wanted to make sure Jayce was all right.  
"Go ahead; we'll stay with her," Hound assures him.  
Crosshairs wasn't sure if he can leave J.R. She was calm now, but for how long?

It relieved crosshairs to see Jayce was asleep. He sat next to Drift.  
"How long has she been sleeping?"  
"Three and a half hours. I'm hoping she'll be able to sleep for a while."  
"You think we could have done anything to prevent her from having these nightmares and now a panic attack?"  
"No, this is because of all the stress. It's amazing this didn't start right after we got back from Jadin's hideout. Jamie flatlining scared her, so now these nightmares are scaring her."  
"And J.R. now has them. Not even Bulma taking over helped them."  
"Yeah, that may have caused more stress on them."  
"And all we can do is watch them, all three of them. I hate it." Crosshairs got up and walked away.  
I also hate this. Drift thought as he watched Crosshairs walk away.

All J.R. wanted to do was sit with Crosshairs, which was concerning to him, Hound and Bee. Most likely, Jayce will just want to be with Drift. Crosshairs worried.

All the Autobots worried the situation was changing their friends' personalities. They were all thinking they had to talk to Bulma and Cade about last night or at least Bulma since she's known all three girls longer than them. Hound and Bumblebee stayed with Crosshairs, and J.R.  
Cade finds them all gathered twenty minutes later. He was relieved that J.R. was calm, but Looking at the Autobots' faces, he assumed it wasn't a good night. Cade wasn't sure if Bulma was up or not. He walked five feet into the building before finding that she was up.  
"Have you seen J.R.?" He asked.  
"No, I just finished with Jamie. Why?"  
"I don't think she had a good night. Bumblebee, Crosshairs, and Hound are with her, and they all looked concerned."  
"Let's go."

The two walked out of the building and joined the others. Cade tried to get J.R. to go with him, but she refused. Even Crosshairs had a hard time getting her to go with Cade, but he got her to go with him. Cade figured Bulma would tell him what Crosshairs tells her later. Crosshairs told Bulma about Jayce, and they all expressed their concern about how Jayce and J.R are changing because of this situation.  
"Damn it," Bulma sighed, "all you can do is be there for them. No way to know if this is just how they're choosing to deal with this or not. I'm sorry there's a lot of unknown. It may be temporary, but it's hard to tell," she informed them.  
Crosshairs walked away when she finished. Bulma frowned as she watched him walk away. Hound noticed how Crosshairs walking away bothered Bulma.  
"It's fine, Bulma. He wanted to know if he could help Jayce and J.R., and he got the answer."

Crosshairs sat in his vehicle mode. He was hoping there was more that could be done to help Jayce and J.R. He just sat lost in thought for ten minutes before thinking he had to get back to J.R.

Crosshairs found J.R. laying down on her side, back towards Cade. He laid down beside her; Cade left them alone. Crosshairs watched her try not to fall asleep, bothered by how the girls had been training for hours before Jadin attacked. Now, J.R. is tired already from depression, hoping it was temporary.

Jayce slept until eight am. She laid awake for two minutes. Drift was looking at the pictures on Jayce's phone again. Even though looking at them made him think he could lose his friend, the one he loved, he still wanted to look at the memories. He looked up from the phone and noticed Jayce was awake. He put the phone away and moved closer to her. She had to eat, but Drift didn't want to make her get up. He wondered if she was still tired, but the sun woke her?  
Jayce got up ten minutes later, and Drift followed. Jayce got some food, but like J.R., she had very little. Bulma watched, seeing how tired Jayce looked. Drift noticed Bulma and walked up to her. He handed her Jayce's phone.  
"This is Jayce's. I had to take it from her. She kept looking at the pictures on there and making herself more upset," he walked away. Bulma could tell Drift was upset.  
Did you look at the pictures too? She thought.  
Hound stopped him before he could get back to Jayce. He was using his holoform.  
"You want me to take over?" He was trying to suggest Drift goes to see Jamie and not make it like he's forcing. Drift nodded and walked into the building.  
Take all the time you want. Hound was hoping Drift would stay with Jamie for at least two hours. Hound just sat across from Jayce. He wanted to distract her, but he wasn't sure if he could without forcing her to do something.

Bulma was on her laptop when she noticed that Drift walked in. She said nothing since he wasn't aware that she was in the building. She just watched him sit by the bed and hold Jamie's hand that was still warm. Bulma watched tears roll down his face. She left the building.

By now, Bumblebee joined Hound, and Jayce Hound got up and walked to Bulma.  
"Something wrong?" He asked.  
"Look for yourself."  
Hound looked in the building.  
"I knew he was hurting over this, but I didn't think he was this upset."  
"It's possible almost losing Jamie and now watching Jamie decline is what's upsetting him plus watching how distraught Jayce and J.R. are. Jayce told me he and Crosshairs didn't want to be near Jamie until she flatlined."  
"I know he couldn't stay near her longer than five minutes last night, and Crosshairs left five minutes after him. They're losing hope that she'll survive. Jayce seemed to have given up already."  
"I know, I don't understand why she wants me to develop equipment for you guys but also thinks Jamie will die. I think she's just depressed. I hope it's temporary. I hate not having the answers for everyone. Jayce told me when J.R. told Crosshairs and Drift about the last severe flare-up, they had hope, and now it's gone again."  
"Tell me, is this the worst now?"  
"Yes and no. It's the worst, but Jadin started it."  
Hound frowned and walked back to where Jayce and Bumblebee were. Bulma left to find Crosshairs and J.R. she wanted to make sure J.R. was doing all right; also, it was something to do away from the building so that Drift could be alone. Bumblebee and Jayce weren't where Hound last saw them.

Bulma found J.R. sleeping and Crosshairs watching.  
"How long has she been sleeping?" She asked.  
"An hour," Crosshairs replied. Crosshairs guessed that Bulma was here because Drift was with Jamie, and Bulma wanted to leave him alone. He thought of joining Drift but worried about J.R.  
"Go ahead," Bulma insisted. Crosshairs got up and walked away.

Jayce just wanted to be left alone. Bumblebee did what she wanted but watched her from a distance. He wasn't sure if this was a good idea, but he was ready if Jayce needed him or tried to harm herself. Jayce was feeling many emotions. She wanted to leave, afraid Jamie would die but also wanted to stay. She felt better being with Drift.  
"Where is she?" Hound asked Bee. Bumblebee pointed out where Jayce was. "I'm not sure this is a good idea, Bee, but if she wants to be left alone..." He trailed off.

Crosshairs moved a chair next to Drift and sat down but said nothing.  
"I think we need to get the girls out of here," Drift spoke after two minutes of silence.  
"It's a good idea, but I know you don't want to leave, plus Jayce left for three days, and that did nothing."  
"After what she dealt with last night, leaving seems like a good idea."  
"No, it won't help," Bulma jumps in, "sorry to intrude." The two mechs turn to face her.  
"You left J.R. alone?" Crosshairs asked, trying not to sound angry.  
"No, Cade is with her. I know taking them away from the situation seems like a good idea but not in this situation. They'll continue to be concerned about Jamie and still struggle," she left them alone.  
Everyone is falling apart, and I can't give them hope. She thought as she walked away.

"Damn it, "Crosshairs mumbled, "If J R. is right, then there's still six weeks of this crap. How much more can they take? And you."  
"You know we all want this to be over and for Jamie to survive. For Jayce and J R. to be themselves again," Drift held Jamie's hand, "come on, Jamie."  
Crosshairs put a hand on Drift's shoulder and his other hand on Drift's

J.R. wanted to find Jayce when she woke up. Cade just followed her. When he noticed Hound was watching Jayce, he turned around and walked away. J.R. sat next to Jayce.  
"You ok?" She asked.  
"As ok as I can be right now. You?"  
"Same."  
They sat in silence for a while before J.R. suggested they get some food. Hound followed them. He was concerned that they would leave the dimension if none of the Autobots were watching them. Neither of the girls said a thing as they ate. They still weren't eating much. Hound wasn't sure if he should be concerned or not. By now, Cade and Bumblebee were nearby.  
"Are we getting out of here?" J.R. asked, but Jayce ignored her, "what's wrong?"

Crosshairs and Drift walked up to the girls. They noticed something was off about Jayce. Drift watched as Jayce stood up and then started to fall to the ground. He hurried to catch her. J.R. watched, frightened. Crosshairs walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. Cade walked up to Drift. Bee and Hound watched, worried.  
"Crap, Jayce?" Cade knelt beside Drift.  
"Will she be ok?" Drift asked.  
Crosshairs tried to get J.R. to leave, but she refused. The Autobots didn't know why Jayce would pass out, but they were too worried to ask.  
Come on, Jayce, wake up. We can't have two friends down. Hound watched, waiting for Jayce to wake up. They waited a long minute before Jayce woke up. Drift had no problem keeping her still when she woke up.  
"What happened?" Bulma asked as she walked up to them.  
"Jayce passed out," Cade told her. Bulma knelt in front of Drift and Jayce, making sure she was ok. J.R. was fighting Crosshairs to get closer to Jayce.  
"She's fine, J.R.," Bulma told her. She gave Drift some instructions before walking away, Cade followed her. Drift carried Jayce away and, J.R. and Crosshairs followed. Bumblebee and Hound both walked into the building.

"What caused Jayce to pass out?" Hound asked Bulma.  
"Too much stress. I'm worried Jayce could pass out again, and J.R. seems to be on the same path as Jayce with her stress."  
"Crap," Hound mumbled. Bumblebee pointed to Jamie. Bulma knew he was asking how she was.  
"She's not doing good. The level of the chemical won't go down."  
And that's what caused her to flatline. Cade thought.  
"Do..do you know if..." Hound trailed off.  
"It's possible," Bulma said in a sad tone. Bumblebee, Cade, and Hound frowned.


	17. We Need to Let Jamie Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bulma discovers J.R. has been neglecting herself and is dehydrated. Crosshairs and Drift worry, that's why Jayce passed out. Bulma Is aware and has IV fluids prepared as Drift carries Jayce to the building. A little time passes before Crosshairs and Drift tell Bulma they're taking Jayce and J.R. away from the junkyard; Bulma tells them being away from Jamie will make the two girls more upset before Bumblebee interrupts them. He informs everyone that Jayce is considering pulling the plug. Everyone eavesdrops on the girls' conversation for a short period before Jayce runs off. Drift runs after Jayce, while Crosshairs takes J.R. to the back of the property. Hound hears Jayce will try to pull the plug and thinks they will need to guard Jamie, but Someone is always with her so they can stop Jayce. A little time passes before Jamie is showing signs of declining again, putting everyone on edge. Bulma does all she can to help Jamie but fears it's not going to work.

Bumblebee, Cade, and Hound stayed with Jamie. Drift did as Bulma instructed and laid Jayce on the ground. He could tell she was feeling tired and weak. Crosshairs sat next to Drift, hugging J.R. She wanted to be with Jayce, but now he thought he should have kept her away.  
"It's ok. Jayce is just tired," Drift assured her. As Drift expected, Jayce fell asleep five minutes later. J.R. watched, worried. Crosshairs realized he had to get her away from Jayce. He tried to get her to get up, but she refused.  
"No," she cried. Crosshairs and Drift just looked at each other.  
She wants to stay, but staying here is making her more stressed. Should I carry her away? Crosshairs debated.  
He hugged her tighter as she let herself cry. Bulma comes five minutes later. She wasn't surprised at what she saw. She knew Jayce would end up falling asleep and that J.R. was anxious about Jayce.

"She wanted to stay. I wasn't sure if I should carry her away from her," Crosshairs told her.  
"That wouldn't have helped," she knelt beside Crosshairs, "here, J.R."  
She handed J.R. a bottle of water. J.R. took it and drank the entire bottle, and the other bottle of water Bulma had for Jayce. Bulma, Crosshairs, and Drift realized how much the girls were neglecting themselves.  
"Come with me," Bulma was concerned that J.R. is dehydrated. Crosshairs got her to go with Bulma while Crosshairs stayed with Drift. The two mechs sat in silence for a few minutes.  
"Not good. You think Jayce passed out from being dehydrated and stressed?"  
"If it is, then she needs help now, not when she wakes up," Drift picked Jayce up and walked away, Crosshairs followed him.

Bulma had J.R. sit down and sip a bottle of water. She knew that meant Jayce is also very dehydrated. Bulma explained what was going on to Cade, Bumblebee, and Hound as she prepared IV fluids for Jayce.  
"Bulma," Drift said as he walked into the building.  
"I know," she said as she finished. Crosshairs sat by J R. She leaned on him as she continued to drink the bottle of water. Drift sat on the ground, still holding Jayce.  
"Isn't she going to feel you poke her?" Cade asked.  
"No."  
Cade watched Bulma and how she got an IV line in without waking Jayce.  
"This will take an hour," she said as she hung the bag. Twenty minutes pass before J.R. wants to leave.  
"Let her," Bulma tells Crosshairs.  
J.R. walks out of the building while Bulma gave Crosshairs a bottle of water before he left. Crosshairs wanted to ask about Jamie; It's been five days since he and Drift were informed about her, but afraid to ask. Drift watched him leave before looking at Jayce, hating how bad she neglected herself and trying to avoid looking at Jamie. The others left the building. They all tried to come up with a way to help the girls, Crosshairs, and Drift. They knew it would be a challenge. Unknown to them, Crosshairs and Drift were thinking of taking the girls away from this dimension for a while.

Jayce woke up two hours later. Bulma told her how she passed out from both stress and severe dehydration. Drift got Jayce to leave before she looked at Jamie. Drift wanted to get Jayce to do something, hoping to distract her, but she didn't want to do anything. Taking a bottle of water from Bulma, Drift took Jayce to a shaded area, which was by another building on the property. J.R. and Crosshairs sat by the fence at the end of the property. J.R. was as alone as she wanted to be right now.

Two more hours passed, both mechs were getting concerned that the girls have eaten very little today. This also made them want to get the girls away.

The girls eventually got some food; Crosshairs and Drift left the girls alone. The two mechs talked about taking the girls away from here for a while and if they should ask about Jamie before going to talk to Bulma. Cade, Hound, and Bee are still with her.

By now, Bumblebee stopped using his holoform. When he saw Crosshairs and Drift walk over to them, Bumblebee stayed with the girls, so Crosshairs and Drift could talk to Bulma.  
"Bulma, we know you said taking Jayce and J.R. away wouldn't help, but we're taking them-."  
"No, that'll just make them more upset," she interrupted Drift.  
"And staying here isn't?" Crosshairs yelled. Bulma wasn't sure what to say. Before anyone could say anything, Bumblebee ran towards them.  
"We have - a problem."  
"What?* Bulma asked.  
"They want to- pull the plug."  
"What!?" Everyone exclaimed. They all ran out of the building. They wanted to listen to what the girls were saying.

"... she's not getting any better; she's getting worse. Why else would Bulma keep us from seeing her?" Jayce fumed  
The others listened, shocked at what Jayce is thinking.  
"Ok, say you're right. Why hasn't Bulma done it already?" J.R. got up and walked towards Jayce, "Jayce, with all the medical knowledge you have, you know what you're saying is shit."  
She was about to sit next to Jayce, but Jayce got up, pushed J.R. to the ground, and ran off. Drift ran after her as J.R. watched, shocked. Crosshairs ran to J R. and helped her up.  
"I think she's serious," J.R. tells Crosshairs as she let tears roll down her face.  
"Shit, and you, J.R.?" Cade asked. Crosshairs gave him a look of disgust, though he also wanted to know.  
"I don't know. Jayce is right, Jamie is getting worse but...," she couldn't finish before crying. Crosshairs got her to leave the area with him.  
"This isn't good. You think Jayce is serious about turning off the ventilator?" Cade asks when Crosshairs and J.R. are out of sight.  
"If she wasn't dealing with so much stress and emotionally drained, I'd say no, but she's not thinking straight."  
"Do we have to guard Jamie?" Hound asked, worried.  
"I don't think so. Crosshairs and Drift seem to want to watch Jayce and J.R., and either Cade or I am with Jamie."  
Hound tells Bulma and Cade the plan he and Bumblebee has. Bulma and Cade both agreed it was a good plan.

Crosshairs and J.R. sat by the fence. By now, J.R. stopped crying. Crosshairs was lost in thought concerned that what Jayce told J.R. may cause J.R. to have a nightmare about it. All he could do was hope he was wrong.  
"Crosshairs?"  
"Hmm?"  
"What do you think? Is Jayce right?"  
"No, you're right. Bulma would have known by now if Jamie wouldn't survive, but she doesn't. There's a lot of unknown."  
"But what do you think?"  
"I don't know, Jamie is a fighter and has been through this several times."  
J.R. said nothing more. She wondered what Drift thought, and would Jayce try to pull the plug?

Drift caught up with Jayce and hugged her tight, the only way he's been able to calm Jayce down even if it still took awhile. Jayce is bawling, and Drift hated there is not much he could say. She calmed down a bit after five minutes. Drift made sure she had some water.  
She was thinking of a plan to leave. No matter what Crosshairs and Drift said, Jayce still felt like a burden with her nightmares and passing out today.  
Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving.

Eight PM, J.R. wanted to make sure Jayce was doing ok. Drift is sitting next to Jayce, who is laying on her side facing him, still upset. J.R. sat on the other side of Drift, and Crosshairs say next to her.  
"She ok?" Crosshairs asked Drift.  
"No, she doesn't want to do anything," Drift replied in a sad tone, "what about you, J.R.? You ok?"  
"No," she whispered, so Jayce wouldn't hear her tell Drift she was afraid Jayce is serious about pulling the plug. Crosshairs knew by Drift's expression what J.R. told him. J.R. didn't want to stay long. Drift watched her walk away.  
"It will be another long night for both of us," Drift sighed.  
"I'm worried they will start harming themselves...and now Jayce could harm Jamie."  
"We're getting them out of here tomorrow. I don't care what Bulma thinks. Anywhere is better than here," Drift said, looking at Jayce.  
Crosshairs nods before getting up and walking away.

Bumblebee, Bulma, Cade, and Hound are with Jamie.  
"Bulma?" Cade called out as he watched the monitor. Cade got Bee and Hound to move as Bulma walked towards them. Bulma watched the monitor for ten seconds before realizing what was wrong.  
"What's wrong?" Hound asked. Bulma didn't want to tell anyone, not even Cade.  
Oh shit, it's happening again. Cade thought. Bumblebee and Hound became more worried since Bulma didn't want to tell them. The three of them watched Bulma.  
"Bulma, please, what's going on?" Hound asked.  
"Jamie's heart rate is dropping. With the high level of the chemical and high fever...," she trailed off.  
Bumblebee, Cade, and Hound knew what she was trying to say. They watched her work, hoping whatever she was doing would stabilize Jamie.  
"That's all I can do," Bulma tells them as she hung an IV bag ten minutes later, "all we can do is  
wait now."  
"What are the chances she'll-?" Cade asked.  
"Honest answer? inevitable."  
"What would the lie be?"  
'That I don't know if it'll happen but unless this works."  
"You think.."  
"No, not yet. I'd say never, but I know that's not possible. This is almost like after Vegeta tried to kill her. By Jayce's records, The only difference is Jadin made sure Jamie was exhausted before injecting. It doesn't mean this will be a repeat of that time, but I'm not giving up yet."  
She's lying, Jayce tried to figure out how much of the chemical Jadin injected but couldn't. This must be a lot worse than what Vegeta did. Cade thought.  
"Should Bee and I not give Crosshairs and Drift a break tonight then?" Hound asked.  
"No," Bulma replied.  
They all just sat and waited. Hoping the drugs would work but planned for if they didn't work.

Ten PM, J.R. is asleep, Crosshairs is relieved she has no problem falling asleep.

As Drift expected, Jayce is trying not to sleep,  
You're too scared to sleep now.  
Drift watched Jayce fight sleep. Drift expected Jayce to fall asleep by now considering how exhausted she is. Jayce fought falling asleep for ten minutes before giving in and falling asleep. Drift was relieved but wondered how much sleep will she even get?

Drift stared at the stars lost in thought when he heard Jayce cry out.  
"Jamie!" Jayce cried. Drift saw her tossing around and kicking her legs. He felt how tense she was as he moved her onto his lap, hugging her tight.  
Only two hours of sleep and these nightmares are getting worse.  
He was sure Jamie dying was part of the nightmare.

Cade wanted to check on the girls; he rushed, knowing what may happen back at the building. He found J.R. was sleeping, wondering if she'd end up waking up. He was hoping to find Jayce sleeping. Cade watched Drift try to wake her up. Hearing Jayce call Jamie's name.  
Shit.  
He wanted to stay and try to help Drift, but he had to get back to the others.

"...She was calling Jamie's name." He finished informing the others about the girls. Bulma took a minute to figure out what Jayce is thinking from what she said earlier and how she called Jamie's name in her nightmare.  
"She thinks it's certain Jamie will die, and we're just avoiding the inevitable, so she wants to pull the plug. She's most likely dreaming about watching Jamie die," Bulma guessed.  
She's dreaming that as we wait to see if the drugs will work or not, shit. Cade watched the monitor. An alarm sounded; their fear is happening.


	18. Jayce Leaves Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Bulma and Cade try to get Jamie's heart to start again, Crosshairs and Drift try to calm Jayce and J.R. down. By two A.M., all three girls are taken care of. Jayce and J.R. are up early the next morning. Crosshairs and Drift go into the building to talk only to discover Jamie's heart stopped again, which devastates Drift. As Crosshairs and Drift talk about Crosshairs taking the girls away from the junkyard, J.R. interrupts them. She tells them Jayce left the dimension. Though it's what Crosshairs and Drift wanted to do, the fact that she left alone worries them and everyone else.

Come on, Jamie, fight this. Cade thought as he did chest compressions while Bulma administered the drugs. Bumblebee and Hound watched, worried.   
Come on, Jamie, we don't want to lose you. Hound hated watching this but didn't want to leave. 

J.R. woke up, hyperventilating.  
“You’re ok,” Crosshairs assured her as he hugged her.  
“Jamie is not; she’s dying,” J.R. started crying and tried to break free from Crosshairs’ grip, “let me go!!" She yelled but gave up trying to break free and buried her head on Crosshairs’ chest. All he can do is hug her tight and let her cry, and he hated it. Crosshairs tried not to think what if J.R. is right?

Come on, Jamie, you came back to us once already. Bulma pled as she watched Cade fo CPR.   
Jamie’s heart starts after five minutes. Everyone is relieved but on edge, thinking, will this happen again?  
“Come on, Jamie. I know you can fight this.” Bulma said as she held Jamie’s hand, watching the monitor, releived Jamie's heart returned to a normal rythem and she didn't have to shock her heart.  
How much more of this can Jamie take? Cade wondered as he also watched the monitor.  
“Go ahead, Cade, go to bed. I have to stay here for a while,” Bulma insisted. Cade wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or not, but he left anyway. Bee and Hound continued to watch Bulma, hoping this was the last time Jamie came close to death.  
Drift had a hard time getting Jayce to wake up. She woke up, hyperventilating. He felt her heart racing, Watching the emotional pain she was suffering, and why, made Drift think what if Jayce is right? He wanted to cry, but he knew he couldn’t.  
I will lose my girl, and I can’t even say goodbye.

J.R. calmed down after fifteen minutes but didn’t want to go back to sleep. She didn’t want to let go of Crosshairs.  
Great, she’s like Jayce now. Crosshairs laid on the ground with her. I’d love to tell you Jamie will be ok, but I very well may be lying.

“Calm down. You will make yourself vomit,” Driftsays while trying to calm Jayce down. She was coughing from crying. Drift wasn’t sure what else to do, but Jayce is having a hard time calming down this time.

Cade didn’t go to his trailer. He wanted to check on the girls first, though he also expected to have to help Drift.  
“Hey, is she all right?” Cade asked Crosshairs.  
“No, she’s too afraid to sleep now like Jayce.”  
Cade gave Crosshairs a bottle of water. Crosshairs sat up with J.R. to get her to drink the water. Both Cade and Crosshairs noticed how tired J.R. is, hoping she’d fall asleep soon. Cade left them alone as Crosshairs laid back down with J.R.  
Come on, J.R., you need to sleep.

Cade knew Jayce would still be crying and possibly coughing, but he couldn’t believe how bad Jayce is.  
Her nightmares are getting worse too.  
“Need any help?“ He asked Drift.  
“Nothing’s working. I think she just needs to cry but will end up vomiting.”  
“Yeah, I figured," Cade took out the plastic bag he brought and just in time too. Jayce started vomiting; Cade got her to vomit in the bag. Cade also brought a bottle of water for her. He got her to drink it when she stopped vomiting.  
“Try getting her to lie down. That seems to have worked with J.R.,” Cade suggested and walked away.  
All three girls are getting worse, great. When will it end? Cade wondered as he headed to his trailer.  
Drift wasn’t sure if Jayce would lie down with him, but Jayce was too tired to fight him.  
I hope both girls will get some sleep. Drift thought, watching Jayce fight sleep.

Two A.M., after watching Jamie for two hours, Bulma felt it was ok to go to sleep. She slept in the building anyway, so she was right there if there was a problem. By now, Bee and Hound left.

Six A.M., Jayce, and J.R. are both up and got breakfast, though neither are even hungry, Crosshairs and Drift leave them alone. 

Bumblebee, Bulma, Cade, and Hound are in the building.  
“Do I even bother asking how last night was?” Crosshairs started when they entered the building. They stood at the entrance so they can still see Jayce and J.R.  
“J.R. is like Jayce now?” Drift asked, “Jayce is exhausted.”  
Crosshairs nodded, “yeah, J.R. is exhausted.”  
Bulma listened, wondering if she should tell them about last night.  
“What happened last night?” Hound asked them.  
“J.R. woke up afraid. I couldn’t believe what she said. She had to have been dreaming about Jamie dying and didn’t realize she was dreaming.”  
Bulma stopped what she was doing on her laptop and listened to their conversation.  
“That’s how Jayce is, and it’s hard to get her to wake up.”  
“Is it even possible for them both to have the same nightmare?” Hound asked.  
“If it’s about a situation, yes. They’re both afraid Jamie will die though I think what Jayce told J.R. caused J R.’s nightmare,” Cade explained.  
Could they sense her energy fading? Cade thought remembering the girls can sense a human and transformer’s energy though he wasn’t sure how that worked. Bulma got up and walked up to them.  
“It’s possible their conversation yesterday caused J.R. to have a nightmare about Jamie dying, and Jayce has had those nightmares for several days,” Bulma stopped. It was hard for her to continue. Crosshairs and Drift became worried.  
No, don’t tell me J.R. was right? Crosshairs thought. He saw Drift was also afraid to hear what Bulma had to say.  
“It happened again,” Cade said in a depressed tone.  
“No,” Drift cried and walked towards Jamie.  
“Drift,” Crosshairs tried to follow him, but Bulma stopped him.  
“Leave him alone,” she insisted. Crosshairs watched Drift sit by the bed, holding Jamie’s hand, and let himself cry. 

Crosshairs waited five minutes before walking up to Drift.  
“You don’t want to leave, do you?" He whispered, so no one else heard him. He knew Bulma would be angry hearing they’re still planning on taking Jayce and J.R. away from here.  
“I..I don’t know. Jayce and J.R. need to get away from here, but...,” he trailed off.  
“I’ll take them. You can stay here.”  
“No, they’ll most likely still end up having nightmares, and you can’t help both of them at the same time.”  
They both looked at Jamie, unsure of what to do. Crosshairs didn’t want to leave either but wanted to get the girls away from here.  
“Drift!” J.R. yelled as she ran into the building and up to Drift.  
“What happened?” Drift asked.  
“Jayce left,” J.R. said, trying not to cry.  
“Where’d she go?” Crosshairs asked as he held J.R. He knew Drift would go after Jayce.  
“She left the dimension,” J.R. sobbed.  
“What?!” Drift got up and ran out of the building, hoping to catch Jayce, but he was too late. He watched the portal close.  
“J.R., where did she go?” Crosshairs asked.  
“To Jamie’s dimension.”  
Why would she go there? Crosshairs wondered.  
“Bulma, can you open a portal to Jamie’s dimension?” Drift asked.  
“Yes but-."  
“Do it!” Drift yelled and ran to his vehicle mode, deactivated his holoform, and transformed. Bulma did what Drift asked. She knew he was concerned about Jayce. Everyone wondered why did Jayce go to Jamie’s dimension and not her own? Watching Drift leave upset J.R. more. She turned to look at Jamie, held her hand, and started bawling. Crosshairs wasn’t sure if he should get her away from here.  
Everyone just watched, they couldn’t believe how much emotional pain J.R. is in and most likely Jayce is the same way. They wondered if Drift and Crosshairs were also hurting as much as the girls but hid it?  
“Come on, Jamie, I can’t take it anymore,” J.R. couldn’t finish what she wanted to say, and she continued bawling,  
She needs to get out of here. Crosshairs thought, but J.R. was fighting him.  
“No,” she cried as he tried to get her hand to release Jamie’s. Bulma walked up to them and knelt beside J.R.  
“I’m not giving up on Jamie; I promise,” Bulma got J.R. to release Jamie’s hand. Either J.R. believed her or is distracted questioning if Bulma meant what she said, “get her out of here,” Bulma told Crosshairs. Crosshairs picked up J.R. and walked out of the building. J.R. didn’t want to leave, but she was exhausted to fight Crosshairs carrying her away. Crosshairs was hoping she’d end up falling asleep.  
“I hate this,” Hound said as he watched Crosshairs walk away,  
“Why would Jayce go back to Jamie’s dimension? Wouldn’t that be a more depressing place?” Cade asked.  
“I have no idea why, but I think that’s where Crosshairs and Drift would have taken her and J.R.,” Bulma said in a sad tone.  
“You all right?” Cade asked her.  
“I should have done more. I should have done more research to develop medicine to help Jamie fight the flare-ups. She showed her body could fight them, and when I found out what seems to keep the severe flare-ups at bay...," she trailed off.  
“You did what you thought was right. No one thought a friend of Jamie’s would betray her and set out to kill her,” Cade tried to convince Bulma she did nothing wrong.  
“That’s when I should have worked on trying to develop medication. Jayce would have been prepared.”  
“And if you couldn’t develop anything that could help? Too late to wonder now,” Hound jumped in.  
“Go take a break, Bulma. One of us will stay here,” Cade insisted. Bee and Hound nodded in agreement. Bulma walked out of the building as Cade took his place by Jamie, Bumblebee and Hound sat at the table. None of them wanted to leave. Not like they can help Crosshairs anyway.

Crosshairs went to the carport and sat by his vehicle mode to make sure there would be constant shade. J.R. wasn’t bawling or even crying anymore, but she was still fighting sleep. He held J.R. and watched her try not to go to sleep.  
No way you can fight off sleep for much longer. I just hope you can sleep longer than two hours.  
J.R. fell asleep five minutes later. Crosshairs wondered if Drift and Jayce are ok and why did Jayce go back to Jamie’s dimension?


	19. No Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drift is unsure if being in Jamie's dimension is the place for Jayce, even if she wants to get away from the situation. Bulma tells Crosshairs how bad Jamie was when Vegeta tried to kill her. Jayce is unhappy Drift followed her and tries to get him to leave as he tries to tell her he's here to help her. A little time passes before J.R. wakes up, and Crosshairs has her get food. Hound is waiting to sit with J.R., so Crosshairs and sit by Jamie. Sitting by Jamie causes Crosshairs' feat that Jamie will not survive to increase. When he gets back to J.R. and Hound, Hound tells him what J.R. told him.

Drift wasn't sure why Jayce would go to Jamie's dimension, no way being here wouldn't upset her more than being at the junkyard. Drift worried Jayce wanted to be alone to harm or kill herself.  
I was hoping to be back here for a better reason.  
Drift looked around the building Jamie had built years ago for any of her friends to stay at her dimension. She made sure most of the building was built for the Autobots height. The place has a mix of human and Autobot technology. Drift looked around the building made of metal before finding Jayce sleeping on the couch. He moved a large metal block the Autobots use as seats next to the couch.  
You needed to get away, but why here? He wondered as he watched her. Drift also wondered if Crosshairs would bring J.R. here. He was hoping she was also asleep by now.

Bulma checked on J R. two hours later.Good. Bulma was relieved to see J.R. sleeping.  
"You want me to take her?" She asked Crosshairs.  
"No, I don't want her near Jamie, at least not until she's improving," Crosshairs replied.  
"Are you going to avoid her as well?"  
"I don't know. I hate seeing Jamie critically ill and J.R...," he trailed off. After watching how upset she was, Crosshairs didn't want to leave J.R. alone, "I want the team back to the way it was before that bastard attacked. I've seen how Bee and Hound hate watching the three girls in this situation. None of us thought Jayce and J.R. are emotionally hurt until they showed us the record of Jadin's betrayal. We should have never asked to see it."  
"No, Just seeing Jadin is enough to trigger those memories. They were hurting the second Jadin showed up. You and Drift have been doing all anyone can do. They won't start feeling better until Jamie improves. All three of them will take time to heal, though I don't know if they can heal from Jadin's betrayal."  
"How bad was it when that bastard, Vegeta, tried to kill her?"  
Crap, he doesn't know Vegeta's my husband? Great, now is not the time to tell him.  
"It was a long three months. Jamie was as she is now for a month then several periods of being unconscious for several days. She was still weak for a month afterward. The record J.R. referred to, Jamie, was like this for two months before starting to recover. She didn't finish looking at that record, but it was another month before she recovered. I think her body adapted so she wouldn't be left weak like the first time. Still, she was kept away from fighting for an additional two weeks, Not my instruction, Optimus Prime's. This flare-up happened two years after Vegeta tried to kill her. She had several severe flare-ups but not as bad as the first, the one J.R. looked at or this one, but the last one was years ago. I'm sure everyone knows we can't prevent severe flare-ups 100%."  
"Damn it," he looked at J.R., "I don't know how much more Jayce and J.R. can take."  
"And what about you and Drift? I'm concerned you two are neglecting yourselves to help Jayce and J.R."  
"I want to kill that bastard. Jadin hurt the entire team."Talking about Jadin angered Crosshairs. Bulma left to check on Jamie and go back to her research.

Bulma wasn't expecting to see Bumblebee, Cade, and Hound still in the building. They told her how they didn't want to leave. She knew Jamie wouldn't be improving for some time but had to make sure she wasn't getting worse. She went back to her research when she finished checking on Jamie.

J.R. woke up two hours later. Crosshairs was relieved she wasn't woken up by a nightmare but would have liked her to sleep longer. No way she wasn't still tired after being up most of the night and only getting four hours of sleep. Crosshairs noticed Bulma left a bottle of water. He got J.R. to drink it but wondered, did she even eat anything before Jayce left? He'd wait a little longer to see if J.R. wanted to eat. Crosshairs noticed J.R. closed her eyes. He wasn't sure if she was going back to sleep because she was tired or just too depressed to do anything else.

Jayce noticed Drift when she woke up.  
Oh shit. Jayce thought.  
"I didn't know you'd follow me here. I wouldn't have come here if I knew you'd follow me."  
"Jayce, you know I'm here for you and J.R., not just Jamie."  
"No, I'm just a burden to keep you away from Jamie, and now I made you follow me here."  
Now Drift understood; though she tried keeping him from getting upset by not telling him anything until Jamie almost died, after that, she wanted him to be with her as much as possible, but that's when the nightmares scared her, so he focused on her. She thinks Drift will be more upset being in Jamie's dimension., though she's making herself more upset.  
Drift activated his holoform, sat on the couch next to Jayce, and hugged her.  
"You know I could have had one of the others stay with you while I was with Jamie."  
Drift wondered if J.R. felt the same way?

J.R. got two more hours of sleep before deciding to get up. Crosshairs watched her eat very little.  
"Let me take over," Hound said, standing behind Crosshairs.  
"Do you just wait for me to come around here?" Crosshairs smiled.  
"Yeah," Hound laughed, "I want to help."  
"I don't know. J.R. is not doing good; she's struggling."  
"I got it."  
Crosshairs walked towards the building as Hound sat across from J.R. as she watched Crosshairs walk away. She still wanted him to be with Jamie but also wanted to be with him. Hound watched J.R. as she tried to eat. She got up and walked away five minutes later. He followed her. J.R. went to the back of the property, sat by the fence, knees up, arms resting on her knees, and her head resting on her arms. Hound kept his distance but would be there to comfort her if she started crying.  
Damn, I hate how much she's struggling. She needs Crosshairs, but Crosshairs should be with Jamie more than he has been.

Crosshairs figured Bulma would be on her laptop when he walked in. He was a little surprised Cade and Bumblebee left.  
"You want me to leave you alone?" Bulma asked.  
"No, it's fine." Crosshairs replied as he walked towards Jamie. He sat by the bed and held her hand.  
She still has a high fever, damn it. Come on, Jamie, stop scaring us. We need you to recover.  
He knew Bulma was watching, but he let himself cry. It still amazed Bulma at how Crosshairs and Drift stayed strong until they were alone with Jamie. She figured they were too worried about Jayce and J.R.

Jayce did not know how long she'd stay in Jamie's dimension; she just had to get away. Drift wanted to see if she does better being away from what's going on though he wasn't sure what he'd do if that was not the case. As far as he could tell, being in Jamie's dimension isn't helping her. Sure she got a little sleep, but she's distraught to do anything. He didn't want to force her, but he hated how she didn't want to do anything.

By now, J.R. is laying on the ground, asleep. Hound sat by her to block the sun. Bumblebee walked up to them. He was no longer using his holoform.  
"Tired of not being able to say anything?" Hound jokes. Bumblebee was too focused on J.R. to be bothered by Hound's terrible joke. He watched her twitch.  
Damn it, let her get some sleep for a bit.  
Hound was expecting her to wake up.

Crosshairs knew he had to get back to J.R. but didn't want to leave. He was afraid Jamie could not fight the flare-up for much longer. What if this was the last time he'd see her?  
Damn Drift, you need to come back. I'd hate if you returned after Bulma says Jamie can't be revived, to watch her disappear from the dimension.  
Bulma watched, seeing the fear on his face.She knew he heard her promise J.R. she wouldn't give up but knew he was afraid Jamie's body could give up for a third time and that might end up being the last time.  
We're all holding on by a thread at this point.

Crosshairs left an hour later, unsure what to expect when he got back to J.R. but hoping she'd be asleep though he knew it was very unlikely. Crosshairs wasn't expecting to see Bumblebee. J.R. was awake. She was sitting against the fence with her head resting on her arms, resting on her knees. Hound was sitting on his knees beside her, hand on her shoulder, but got up when he noticed Crosshairs.  
"You're right; she's not doing good. I got her to talk a little. She says she feels alone."  
"Damn, She watched Drift, and Jayce leave."  
"She slept a little, but I think she was dreaming of the rest of us leaving or something close to that, and she's terrified of that happening. Most likely why she told me."  
"Not the first time, I suspect he felt the same way when Jayce left the first time and with Jamie being down. Those three are a team. Then add Drift leaving to go after Jayce."  
"You five are like a team within the team. J.R. feels more comfortable with you than me, Which might be a good thing during this situation, but you need to be Jamie more too."  
"I doubt I make her feel any better. Nothing will until Jamie improves."  
"At least she doesn't feel she's alone."  
"It would be better if she felt that way when any of us are with her."  
"Maybe, though with how she is, it's good she feels better being with one of us. There's something else bothering you, isn't there?"  
"I'm concerned she might think she's a burden like Jayce has been thinking."  
Crosshairs walked towards J.R. Hound walked away. Crosshairs wasn't expecting J.R. to lean on him when he sat next to her. At that point, Bumblebee left. Crosshairs put an arm around her.  
"You're ok, and you're not alone. Drift and Jayce will come back."

"How long are you going to stay here?" Drift asked Jayce.  
"I don't know."  
"You know J.R. is most likely upset you left. Even though she has Crosshairs and the others."  
"I know, but I can't be there. I can't watch Jamie die. You need to go back."  
Damn, she gave up. She wants to be alone, but she's not in a good place mentally to be alone, nor is J.R.  
This was all Drift needed to know that being here will not help Jayce. He didn't want to force her to go back either.

Ten pm, Jayce fell asleep on the couch. Drift wanted to contact Bulma, hoping to talk to Crosshairs."...I don't know what to do," he finished telling Bulma how Jayce is doing. Jamie's dimension wasn't helping her, but she wanted to stay."I..I don't know either. I want to tell you something that will show Jayce that Jamie will be ok-.""I know. I can't lie either.""Are you all right? Crosshairs was with Jamie earlier, and I saw how afraid he is.""I am terrified Jamie will die. I hate watching Jayce and J.R. struggling with this. I'm worried they will hurt themselves."Most likely, that's what Crossshairs thinks. Bulma thought."Would it be possible to get Crosshairs?""I can try, but J.R. isn't doing good after watching you and Jayce leave."

Bulma left to see if Crosshairs would step away from J.R.She found Hound heading to the building and asked him to take over for Crosshairs. The two went to tell Crosshairs that Drift wanted to talk to him.Crosshairs hesitated, but he also wanted to talk to Drift.

Drift told him about Jayce before Crosshairs could tell Drift about J.R."...She feels alone. After watching you and Jayce leave and with Jamie down. I'm the only one left to her. Hound's trying to help but..""It's good she goes to just you.""Yeah, that's what Hound thinks, but he wants to help.""Hound's right. It's good she has one of you to go to, but I get it, It would be great if she'd let all of us help her." Bulma jumped in."How long are you two staying there? Crosshairs asked."I don't know. I don't want to leave Jayce alone, and she doesn't want to come back.""If being there isn't helping Jayce, then it won't help J.R., though maybe being with Jayce will help her. Even a little is something-.""No. That's abandoning Jamie!" Bulma yelled."Oh, crap. Bulma, do you think Jayce not sensing Jamie's energy will frighten her?*"That had to have been what frightened them both last night.""It's likely," Bulma replied."Should I bring her back?""I don't know. Jayce doesn't want to, and waking up here will upset her, but...""More than not sensing Jamie's energy?" Bulma asked."This is just getting more difficult," Crosshairs decided he had to get back to J.R.Drift wanted to end the call to get back to Jayce, worried she'd wake up sooner than usual and more frightened. Bulma checked on Jamie before going to bed.

Crosshairs worried about Jayce after he and Drift realized Jayce would be frightened if she can't sense Jamie's energy. He told Hound about Jayce. Hound wanted to tell Crosshairs to go to Jamie's dimension and help Drift, but he knew Crosshairs would refuse to go.


	20. I Need You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Drift expected, staying in Jamie's dimension isn't helping Jayce. J.R. had a good night, free from nightmares, but tries to go to Jamie's dimension. Crosshairs leaves J.R. with Hound to take to Bulma. Hound doesn't like how little J.R. eats. Jayce does not like Drift is still with her in Jamie's dimension. She runs upstairs to Jamie's room. Drift overhears what she says as she's looking at the only photo Jamie has printed and framed. Drift contacts Bulma to tell her what happened. Crosshairs jumps in, and the three make a plan To bring J.R. when Bulma goes to take to Jayce, hoping H.R. can get her to come back. After Bulma deals with J.R>'s poor food choices and finding out it's too soon to do a blood transfusion, Bulma, Crosshairs, and J.R. go to Jamie's dimension. The conversation doesn't go as planned, and things go downhill from there.

As Drift expected, Jayce is calling Jamie's name. She is getting more difficult to wake up. As Drift tried to wake her, he worried about how Jayce is getting worse and how J.R. may not be too far behind. Jayce wasn't any better when she woke up. Along with a racing heart, crying and hyperventilating, Jayce was shaking.These panic attacks are getting worse. I don't know if it's because she's not sensing Jamie's energy or getting more stressed the longer Jamie is down. She's not doing any better here.Bulma had told Drift to contact her; maybe a visual showing Jamie was alive would help, but Drift wasn't sure. Jamie was alive, but she's fighting for her life and losing. Drift debated making Jayce go back as he held her. Drift knew she'd fight going back to sleep once she calmed down.

It relieved crosshairs that J.R. didn't wake up in the middle of the night. He knew it didn't mean she wasn't depressed, and she could end up waking up tonight. She laid awake. Crosshairs wondered what was going through her mind and how bad of a night did Jayce have. J.R. thought Crosshairs wasn't watching, she got up and ran as fast as she could while trying to open a portal.  
"What the? Stop!!"  
Crosshairs ran after her. He knew she was trying to get to Jamie's dimension. He grabbed her before J.R. was successful.  
"Let me go!" She yelled, tears going down her face, but she didn't break free from his grip; instead, she hugged Crosshairs. He carried her back to the area they were at until she calmed down, hoping Hound would come around. He needed the talk to Bulma but didn't want to bring J.R. with him. Crosshairs figured J.R. is worried about Jayce and wanted her to come back. J.R. calmed down after five minutes. Crosshairs knew J.R. had to eat. That meant bringing her close to the building, and he hated that.

"Are you waiting for us?"  
Crosshairs saw Hound waiting for them at the table.  
"Yes, I figured that the only way I could help is to give you a break, and since I can't when she's sleeping," Hound explained as they watched J.R. get food, "she's still not eating much. So how was last night?"  
"She didn't wake up, which is good, but I doubt her nightmares are over. She just tried to go to Jamie's dimension, though. "  
"You going to take her?"  
"Bulma claims if I take J.R. away from here, then we are abandoning Jamie. Drift sees how being in Jamie's dimension isn't helping Jayce. I don't know how she was overnight yet. Watch her; I will talk to Bulma about this."

Crosshairs found Cade and Bulma as he entered the building. Seeing the two of them in the building this early in the morning worried Crosshairs a little. He told Bulma about what J.R. tried. Cade listened to what he had to say.  
".. Should I let her go to Jamie's dimension?" Crosshairs finished.  
"I don't know, I-"  
"We'll be back, Bulma. We're not abandoning Jamie, I promise, and Drift would too."  
"Wait to hear from Drift."  
Doubt we'll hear from him until tonight. Crosshairs thought as he walked away.

Crosshairs didn't like that J.R. tried to leave the dimension; he kept his discussion with Bulma short. Hound and J.R. weren't at the table outside. Crosshairs knew where they were. J.R. always wants to go to the back of the property. J.R. was laying on her side. Hound was sitting next to her but got up when he saw Crosshairs.  
"She ate very little," Hound informed him as he handed him what J.R. didn't eat.  
"Can't make her eat. I'm just not sure if this isn't enough."  
"It isn't, no way two of those are enough, especially if she doesn't eat for eleven hours."  
Hound walked away. Crosshairs put the food down and laid next to J.R., hoping this isn't what she'll do all day.

"I'm concerned about J.R., Bulma. She eats very little.""What's she eating?"  
"Granola bars. Only two of them."  
"Not the best but not the worst. Can't make her eat. We just have to make sure she eats something."  
"Weren't you taking over so Crosshairs could be with Jamie?" Cade jumped in.  
"He's too worried about J.R. I don't blame him. She feels alone, and after what she tried this morning," Hound sighed, "she'd try that again and no way I'd be able to stop her. Maybe he'll be able to be with Jamie when J.R. falls asleep, which might be soon, I hate that."  
He sat by Jamie.

The only good thing about being here is that Jayce can sleep longer without being woken up by the sun. That's not a good enough reason to stay here. Not with how bad her panic attacks are becoming. She has to go back. Drift watched Jayce sleep as he thought of how to get her to go back. He didn't want to force her, but he knew he might have to since Jayce will refuse to go back.  
"Why are you still here?" Jayce asked when she saw Drift.  
"I'm not leaving you alone here," he told her as he sat beside her and hugged her, "you have to go back. J.R. feels alone without you, and being here isn't helping you. What if you're wrong?"  
"No!" Jayce yelled as she broke free from Drift's hug and ran off.  
Great, you're leaving me with no choice, Jayce.  
He got up and watched her run up the stairs. He found Jayce in Jamie's room, looking at the one photo Jamie had printed. Drift stood at the doorway.  
"I let them down, and now they'll lose their friend. I broke Drift's spark." she laid on the bed and started crying.  
Shit, now it makes sense. Drift realized.  
Drift walked away to contact Bulma.

"..Not only did she give up on Jamie, she thinks she failed to help Jamie," Drift explained to Bulma, "no matter where she is, she'll be upset, but I think sensing Jamie's energy makes her feel a little better until she goes to sleep."  
"How was last night?" Crosshairs jumps in.  
"I didn't know you were around."  
"Hound insisted I be with Jamie though after what J.R. tried to pull off this morning," Drift became worried, "she tried to go to Jamie's dimension. If being there isn't helping Jayce, then it won't help her."  
"I'm tempted to bring Jayce back myself. Last night was the worst so far."  
Drift explained what happened.  
"I don't want you to force her to come back, but Jayce and J.R. need each other. It seems sensing Jamie's energy is the tiny piece of hope Jayce has. I'd go talk to her myself, but if J.R. sees I left...." Bulma trailed off.  
"Maybe...if J.R. and I could come with you..."  
"Hard to tell if that'll convince Jayce to come back or J.R. will want to stay with Jayce. It's risky, but if you want to try that, Crosshairs."  
Crosshairs wasn't sure if this was a good idea, but if it'll help Jayce and J.R. They had to get Cade involved with the plan.

Cade is concerned this is a terrible idea. Which was understandable, Jamie flatlined for the second time a little over twenty-four hours ago. They had to be strict on how long Bulma was away, which made what they wanted to achieve more of a challenge. As Drift thought, Jayce ended up crying herself to sleep, and J.R. is still sleeping. They aimed to put the plan into action later in the afternoon.  
"I would like to go back to my dimension while J.R. is still sleeping. She needs better food than what she's been eating," Bulma left the building. Neither Cade nor Crosshairs questioned why Bulma didn't just go to the town nearby. They both assumed she also needed more medical supplies. Cade took his place by Jamie. Crosshairs knew something else was bothering Drift but didn't want to ask him with Cade around.  
He got back to J.R. and told Hound about the plan and how, like Cade, he was concerned this was a terrible idea.

Bulma came back an hour later.  
"That was fast," Cade commented.  
"I just had to get a few things."

Bulma gave J.R. some of the food she brought back, hoping she'd eat some of it.  
"More useful capsules?" Cade asked as he watched Bulma.  
"I'm so annoyed with myself for not thinking of how useful these would be for the girls. Maybe not for every adventure but useful in a situation like this."  
She tossed a capsule that revealed a mini-fridge.  
"How would that not be useful no matter the adventure?" Crosshairs asked, "that would be better than the girls eating granola bars."  
"I was thinking when they're in battles, but duh, those don't last forever," Bulma laughed at herself, "I can give you a capsule with a few of those lunchboxes or the fridge, Crosshairs."  
"It doesn't matter; I just want her to eat better," he looked at J.R., who ate a little more before walking away.  
"Well, that's better than what she ate this morning," Hound commented. Crosshairs got a quick lesson in using the capsules before getting back to J.R. "How long do you think Jayce and J.R. will be like this?" Hound asked.  
"This may be situational depression mixed with the pain of Jadin's betrayal, but I can't be sure. We won't know until Jamie wakes up."  
Cade and Hound knew not to ask about Jamie. By now, they could tell by the monitor and how warm she still feels, Jamie wasn't improving. Bulma went back to the building, Cade followed, but Hound went to find Bumblebee.

Cade noticed Bulma had two blood samples.  
"What are you doing?" He asked.  
"Looking to see if I can do a blood transfusion. I've never figured out why Saiyan blood can reduce the level of the chemical."  
"And not human blood?"  
"I never tested human blood to see if it would act the same. This works, and I couldn't test everyone's blood at the time and Vegeta-."  
"Wait; what? Vegeta?" Cade exclaimed.  
"Not so loud. Yes, Vegeta, I was just testing his blood, wondering if a blood transfusion would help Jamie. I would have tested our human friends' blood, but Jamie was going through a flare-up and took a serious turn downhill; I had no time. The small sample seemed to break down the chemical, and, while it was a risk, I did a blood transfusion. It was try that or let her die anyway. This time, though, I'm not sure."  
"Not sure this time?"  
Cade waited for an answer.  
"Not going to work..yet. Interesting, unless my sample to too small but-."  
"I get it; the chemical is way too high."  
"Maybe, but I don't want to experiment this time. Call me crazy, but I'd rather experiment in my dimension, not in another friends'."  
"I get it, though I don't think you'd try if you were in your dimension. I think you'd wait no matter where you were. It's ok; I know you're doing all you can."  
"I hate I can't do more," she went to sit by Jamie.  
"It's fine. You're why Jamie has kept this adventure up for this long."  
Cade left her alone.

"What's wrong?" Hound asked Cade.  
"Bulma is getting stressed and feeling guilty about how she can't do more, just like Jayce. Even though she's helped Jamie for fourteen years."  
"You think she's giving up?" Hound whispered in case J.R. walked by.  
"No, she just wishes she did more to help Jamie, so maybe Jamie wouldn't be the way she is this long."  
And maybe she thinks she could have prevented Jamie from flatlining twice.

Three hours later, Bulma and Crosshairs are informed that Jayce is awake, and they can come to Jamie's dimension as they planned. Crosshairs deactivated his holoform and transforms. Cade watches them leave, still unsure of the plan.Jayce and Drift were sitting on the couch when Bulma, Crosshairs, and J.R. got there. Crosshairs reactivated his holoform. Bulma asked the two mechs to leave her with the girls for a while. Crosshairs and Drift walked away.  
"Something is bothering you." Crosshairs started as they walked away.  
"You know the one photo Jamie had printed?" He asked as the two walked upstairs to Jamie's room.  
"Yeah."  
The two entered the room, and Drift picked up the photo.  
"Jayce was looking at this when I heard her..." Drift trailed off.  
"What did she say?" Crosshairs asked as he took the photo.  
"She thinks she let us down, and we will lose Jamie."  
Crosshairs knew there was more to it. He knew what else Jayce said that Drift didn't want to repeat.

Jayce and J.R. said nothing for a few minutes. Bulma wanted them to talk without starting the conversation, but she realizes she will have to start the conversation.  
"Jayce, you need to come back. Being here isn't helping you, and J.R. needs you."  
"No, she has Crosshairs-."  
"No! You, Jamie, and I are a team!" She got up and faced Jayce. By now, Drift and Crosshairs are watching, "I can't believe you gave up on her!" J.R. slapped Jayce across the face. Crosshairs wasn't sure if J.R. is trying to start a fight.  
"Stop!" He yelled as he grabbed her arm. He got her to sit down on the couch. Drift sat next to Jayce, who was shocked at what J.R. did.  
This wasn't going as planned.bIt looks like I will have to do most of the talking. Bulma thought.  
"J.R. is right, Jayce. I've been watching Jamie go through this longer than you have. True, like everyone else, I am afraid she won't survive, but I'm not giving up. You know what she's been through just from reading the records. You forget I watched her fight to survive Vegeta's attempt to kill her-."  
"Ok, I get it," Jayce interrupted.  
"Forget it," J.R. got up and walked up to Jayce, "I can't believe you don't understand what you're doing."  
She slapped Jayce again and ran back to the portal. Crosshairs tried to get her before she left, but he couldn't.  
"Go before she hurts herself!" Drift urged Crosshairs. Both Bulma and Crosshairs returned to Cade's dimension. Drift got up to look at Jayce's face. J.R. cut her, and Drift suspected Jayce would end up with swelling. He knew J.R. slapped Jayce hard but most likely not as hard as she could. Jayce was trying not to cry. She wasn't sure what to do now. Drift sat beside her and hugged her. Jayce gave in and cried; the tears were causing the cut to sting.  
I deserve worse.

"Stop!!"  
Cade grabbed J.R. Bulma, and Crosshairs saw Cade trying to stop her. Crosshairs helped Cade get her on to the ground. Crosshairs got her to stop fighting them. He carried her away, hoping she'd talk to him if they were alone when she calmed down.  
"She needs help. She just tried to pull the plug."  
"She's angry at Jayce. Things didn't go well. She's most likely keeping emotions bottled up. I know she doesn't talk about that stuff."  
"You're way too calm."  
"This isn't new to me," Bulma walks into the building, Cade followed her.  
"Well, nothing happened here while you were gone," he said as he sat beside Jamie. Bulma was surprised Cade didn't ask how she's used to J.R.'s attitude, but she was very concerned about J.R.

You're keeping emotions bottled up again. Crosshairs thought as he held J.R.vFrom the failed conversation with Jayce, Crosshairs knew she was angry at Jayce, but J.R. needed to talk about it.  
"You want me to help?" Bulma asked as she knelt beside Crosshairs, "I know she's keeping emotions bottled up."  
"She's very difficult."

"Go make sure J.R. Is ok. It's better if I don't go back."  
"No, I'm not leaving you alone. You need to come back with me. You know what J R. meant."  
"She's angry at me," she touched her face, "she'd probably like to kill me now."  
"No, she wants you."

Bulma and Crosshairs got J.R. to talk. As Crosshairs suspected, J.R. was furious at Jayce for leaving again and giving up on Jamie. She felt Jayce abandoned them. She wanted Jayce and Drift to come back. Bulma left bothered by how much the girls are declining emotionally. Crosshairs watched J.R. fall asleep.  
They'll be back, and it'll be ok. Crosshairs held her close.

"What happened?" Cade asked as Bulma walked into the building.  
"J.R. is keeping emotions bottled up. I don't think talking about it helped her much, but it's better than keeping emotions bottled up."  
"You're not worried she will try to pull the plug again?"  
"No, she was furious, but the longer Jamie is down, the more hope they both lose."  
"I think we're all like that. After watching Jamie flatline twice and it's all still unknown."  
Bulma nodded.

Bulma contacted Drift and told him what happened when they got back and what J.R. kept bottled up. He didn't know Jayce was listening, but she still didn't want to go back.  
"SHE'S BEING SELFISH!! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME, JAYCE!!"  
"Bulma, stop-."  
"NO, SHE IS BEING SELFISH!! SHE KNOWS J.R. FEELS ALONE WITHOUT HER AND CROSSHAIRS IS LEFT TO HELP HER ALONE. I KNOW YOU WANT TO BE WITH JAMIE AND YOU CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE TOO WORRIED ABOUT JAYCE!!!"  
Drift turned and saw Jayce, she was out of Bulma's view, but he saw how scared she is.  
Great, now she really won't want to go back.  
"And you're not? You didn't watch Jayce and J.R. struggle with watching Jamie fight for her life for the first twelve days. You didn't watch their emotional decline after the first time Jamie flatlined. I think you know half of the struggle," Drift ends the video call.  
Though Drift wasn't as angry as Bulma was, It was still shocking to Jayce to see Drift angry. He walked over to Jayce, who was trying not to cry."It's ok," he said as Jayce hugged him and let herself cry as he hugged her back.  
We should go back, but we can stay here as long as you want.

Cade couldn't believe what Bulma said or that she got that angry. Cade left the building before she saw him and went to his usual spot to watch the sunset, but there was no destressing this time.  
"Cade, why don't we call Tessa?' Hound suggested. He was no longer using his holoform, "you haven't called her since this crap all started." Cade agreed. Though he was happy hearing his daughter's voice, even if he couldn't talk to her, it didn't help him.  
"What's wrong?" Hound asked.  
"Bulma is furious at Jayce and Drift. She yelled at Drift, and I suspect Jayce heard it all. How the hell Drift stayed calm is beyond me."I'm not surprised."  
"I think Bulma just kept Jayce from coming back."


	21. Self-harm and Fighting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> J.R. has been struggling while Jayce is in Jamie's dimension, and Jamie is still at death's door. After how angery Bulma got two days ago, Bumblebee, Cade nad Hound stay away from the building. Cade isn't liking J.R. sleeps late, nor does he like finding out all she wants to do is sleep. Cade and Hound get Crosshairs to sit by Jamie. Bulma tells him Jamie is making minuscule improvement before Crosshairs asks if she's heard from Drift and finding out she yelled at him, not thinking Jayce most likely heard everything. The two go to Jamie's dimension and discover something troubling that has Bulma, Crosshairs, and Drift deciding Jayce needs to come back to Cade's dimension, whether she wants to or not. J.R. does seem worried about Jayce when she sees her at first but later fights Jayce, knocking her out. J.R. quickly becomes concerned about the possible serious injuries she might have given Jayce and afraid Jayce will be in a coma for a long period like Jamie.

Two days have passed. J.R. is struggling; Crosshairs watches, wondering what he could do to help, why hasn't he heard from Drift, and when will he and Jayce come back? Bulma doesn't even bother contacting Drift. Cade wants to but doesn't dare touch Bulma's laptop, and Bulma put Jayce's away somewhere.   
Cade, Bumblebee, and Hound stay away from the building. Cade isn't sure if Bulma is still angry, but he'd rather stay away. Hound tries to get Crosshairs to be with Jamie, but he refuses. Crosshairs doesn't know about the last video call Bulma had with Drift, nor does he ask if Drift has contacted her. Jayce has said nothing about going back or even telling Drift to go back. He doesn't ask her if she'll go back or try to get her to go back.

Early morning, J.R. doesn't get up when the sun rises; Crosshairs tries to keep her out of the sun. Cade watched Bulma from the entrance to the building while Bumblebee and Hound watch Bulma from the stack of cars. No one knows how Jamie is. All they can do is hope she's making the slightest improvement. Cade noticed J.R. and Crosshairs haven't come by; he goes to make sure J.R. is ok, Bumblebee and Hound go with him.  
"Strange she's sleeping late, well it is since she always woke up as the sun rose," Cade comments.  
"All she wants to do is sleep. Nightmares wake her up, and now has panic attacks like Jayce. I'm wondering if she thinks this is some dream she's not waking up from," Crosshairs tells him.  
Shit, this bad in eight days.   
"How are you holding up?" Hound asks Crosshairs.  
"How do you think? Both the girls are getting worse mentally. I hate watching the pain they're dealing with. I doubt Drift is doing well, either."  
Cade and Hound look at each other and nod.  
"Go be with Jamie, we'll stay with J.R.," Cade insisted. Crosshairs hesitated, but he knew most likely J.R. would be asleep for a few more hours. Cade and Hound watched him walk away,  
"Twenty days of this. How much more do you think the five of them can take?" Hound asks.  
"I have no idea. All I know is that they're hurting more than you, me, Bulma or Bee."  
"Both Bulma and Bumblebee have known Jamie the longest."   
"Bumblebee doesn't have a close relationship with her like Crosshairs, Drift, Jayce, and J.R. Bulma has seen this several times, but I think she's losing hope too." 

Crosshairs saw Bulma on her laptop. She was occupied with whatever she was doing to notice Crosshairs. He takes his usual place beside Jamie.  
Twenty days of this. Come on, Jamie.   
He couldn't keep himself from crying. Bulma heard him; still, amazed Crosshairs can stay strong until he's with Jamie, but then she thinks of how worried he is about J.R. and Jayce.  
"It's ok," Bulma walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder, "Jamie is improving but very little. I wanted to wait until it was significant. The fever is going down, but not by much."  
"There's a but to this, isn't there? Tell me."  
"The level of the chemical is still high," Bulma sighed, "it's complicated, but you don't need to worry about all of this."  
Crosshairs wondered if Jamie was still too weak, and her heart could stop again, but he didn't want to ask. Bulma wasn't expecting Crosshairs to stop asking about Jamie, but she didn't continue either.  
"Have you heard from Drift?" Crosshairs asked.  
Bulma tells him about how she yelled at Drift.  
"You didn't. Did you even think that Jayce most likely heard all that?"  
"No," she replied in a sad tone, "I know he's angry at me."  
"Let me try contacting him." Crosshairs tried but had no luck.  
"Try sending a message," Bulma suggested, but there was no response. Bulma thought Drift was angry at her, but both her and Crosshairs worried that something was wrong.  
"You think we should go?" Bulma asked. Crosshairs didn't want to stay away from J.R. longer than he has, but if something was wrong and Drift needed help.

They figured Jayce would still be asleep, Drift sitting by her, but they were very concerned seeing Jayce's arm up to her elbow wrapped up.  
Oh shit, she didn't. Crosshairs thought.  
"What happened?" Bulma asked, concerned and afraid to hear the answer. Drift couldn't say anything. Bulma carefully cut the wrapping. She and Crosshairs are shocked to see what Jayce did. She had four cuts that had to have been two inches long. Bulma was amazed by how well Drift took care of the cuts. She did her best to look at them without waking up Jayce.  
"She's lucky not to need stitches. You did a great job taking care of these. What did she do?"  
"I failed to protect her. I don't know where she got this. I didn't even know Jamie had this, but Jayce claims it's Jamie's," Drift showed them a pocket knife. This was not a cheap one, either.  
"I thought Jamie got rid of it. It's been years since she used it. You didn't know she had it?"  
"I knew Jamie had three swords. Jayce showed me months ago. I should have looked at what else she had."  
Oh shit. Crosshairs thought. I remember seeing the weapons. Jamie had a handgun too. Please tell him Jayce has to come back, Bulma.  
"I didn't think she'd harm herself. I would have told you to bring her back," Bulma thought for a moment, "when did she do this?"  
"Yesterday."  
"Shit, she heard me. This is my fault."   
"No, it's that bastard Jadin's." Crosshairs raged, "we all watched the girls go downhill emotionally. Jayce needs to come back whether or not she wants to."  
Bulma and Drift agreed. They didn't wait until Jayce woke up before bringing her back. Bulma rewrapped Jayce's arm before they left. 

Drift laid Jayce next to J.R. when they got back. He did his best to position his Cybertronian form to block the sun before using his holoform.  
"How's J.R. been holding up?"  
"She spends most of the day sleeping, and I hate it. She has panic attacks like Jayce now, and she barely eats."   
"Damn it; she needed Jayce."  
"I don't think Jayce being here could have prevented them, and J.R. got very upset watching Jayce go through one."   
"And Jayce barely eats now."  
They sat in silence, watching the girls.

"You got Drift and Jayce to come back?" Cade asked.  
"No. We had to bring Jayce back. She resorted to self-harm."  
"Shit."  
"Drift blames himself and considering the timing-."  
"No, it's that bastard's fault."  
"That's what Crosshairs said."  
"He's right. Jadin caused all this to happen."  
Bulma checked on Jamie; Cade watched, hoping there would be some kind of improvement.   
Bulma was thinking of Jayce and J.R. as she checked on Jamie.  
Most people would be pissed that we're not making the girls get "professional" help. How five Autobots aren't licensed to help nor are Cade, and I. Jayce and J.R. choose who they need to help them through this. This is better than someone who doesn't know them.  
Cade waited until Bulma started typing on her laptop to ask about Jamie.  
"The fever is going down. To a point, the fever is a sign Jamie's body is fighting the chemical, but a higher fever isn't good. This is a good but small improvement. Until she gets off the ventilator, she's still very weak. Even off of it, she's weak for a while. It's complicated."  
Damn it, still a long road ahead.  
Cade took his place by Jamie. Bulma continued typing.

J.R. woke up an hour later, afraid of what she saw going on with Jayce's arm.   
"It's ok," Crosshairs assured her. He wasn't sure what else to say.  
"She'll be ok, J.R.," Drift didn't dare tell her what happened. J.R. was happy to see Drift. Though she had a small smile, Crosshairs and Drift knew she was happy to see him. She crawled onto his lap and hugged him. Drift wasn't sure what to say as he hugged her. Crosshairs waited a few minutes before getting food for J.R.   
"This is from yesterday," Crosshairs informed him. Drift hated how the box was mostly full, "see? Very little. I don't know when humans start losing weight from not eating, but I worry she'll end up losing weight and a lot."  
As Crosshairs expected, J.R. didn't want to eat.  
"Does Bulma know how little she eats?"  
"She's the one who made these."  
"Wait a little bit. Could be J.R. just woke up and found Jayce and I came back. Go be with Jamie; I can handle these two."  
"You haven't seen her in two days, why don't you go?"  
"How about you both go?" Hound jumps in. Bumblebee and Hound sit next to Drift.  
Drift didn't want to leave Jayce alone anymore, but he couldn't tell Bee and Hound why without J.R. hearing it. Crosshairs shook his head no and pointed to Jayce. What they saw concerned Bee and Hound but figured they shouldn't ask in front of J.R.  
Crap, no way Drift will leave Jayce alone. This isn't good. How long before J.R. resorts to self-harm? Hound wondered.  
Hound also figured J.R. wouldn't let either of them leave seeing how tight a hold she has on Drift. They all just sat quietly, thinking when will this end? When will the girls be ok? 

Jayce wakes up twenty minutes later. Everyone expected her to be pissed. Jayce looks at J.R., expecting J.R. to get up and slap her again, but J.R. avoided looking at her. Bulma comes by five minutes later, insisting Jayce go with her. She knew not to say more in front of J.R. Crosshairs takes J.R. so Drift can go with Jayce.  
What the hell? Cade couldn't believe what Jayce did to herself. He also was surprised to see Jayce did not react as Bulma cleaned her arm. Even Bulma was concerned, thinking maybe she's wrong about how deep the cuts are that she looked at them again.  
Yes, these sting, but I deserve it. Jayce looked over at Jamie. Still think she'll survive, Bulma?   
Everyone thought Jayce would go over to Jamie when Bulma finished, but she walked out of the building. Drift walked out but didn't follow Jayce.  
"Strange that he's not following her," Bulma observed.  
"I'll follow her," Cade walked out of the building. Bulma wanted to know why Drift didn't follow Jayce or sit by Jamie; she went to find him.  
Cade followed Jayce to the end of the property away from the others. She leaned on the fence and slide down to the ground and let himself cry. Cade sat beside her.  
"I'm not as good as Drift, but I'm here for you," he said as he put his hand on her shoulder. He wanted to know what she was thinking, but he'd wait for her to talk though he worried she'd keep it bottled up.

Drift sat where Cade would watch the sunset and call Tessa. He wasn't trying to hide from everyone though he didn't think anyone would follow him.  
"Are you ok?" Bulma asked as she sat beside him.  
"They're both giving up on Jamie and struggling. Jayce blames herself, and there's nothing we can do. I hate it."   
So much for not telling anyone.  
"I wanted to wait until there was a significant improvement, but Jamie is improving but, very little, though. The fever is going down, but not by much."  
Drift was happy to hear Jamie started improving, but he knew because it was a small improvement, that there's still a long road ahead, that she could still die.  
"I won't tell the girls. I don't want to until we know Jamie isn't at a high chance of getting worse. Does Crosshairs know?"  
"Yeah, I ended up telling him," she left him alone to find Jayce.

Crosshairs got J.R. to eat a little while trying to be encouraging and not forcing. Bumblebee and Hound were still with them and relieved that J.R. ate something but would like it if she ate more. All J.R. wanted to do was sit with Crosshairs.  
Are you still angry at Jayce that you'll fight her? How long before you go back to sleep? I Would like it if I could get you to do something.

Bulma figured Jayce would be crying.  
"She won't talk," Cade informed her.  
"Leave her alone," Bulma told him. She knew Jayce wouldn't talk though Jayce needs to. She knew Cade would stay with her until Drift came by so, Bulma walked back to the building.

After an hour alone, Drift wanted to find Jayce and check on J.R. He was hoping J.R. wouldn't be asleep, but she was.   
"When did she fall asleep?"  
"Twenty minutes ago. Are you ok?"  
"I hate how Jayce gave up on Jamie. I was expecting Jayce to sit by Jamie, but Jayce walked away when Bulma was done. I doubt she thought we'd make her leave."  
Drift walks away.  
Damn it, did you give up on Jamie too, J.R.? Crosshairs wondered, looking at J.R. sleeping. He knew he'd find the answers to his questions just by watching J.R. 

Cade got up and walked to Drift when he noticed Drift was coming over to them.  
"I can't get her to talk."  
"Don't force her to," Drift walks up to her and sits next to her. He knew seeing Jamie upset her. He worried she'd try to pull the plug. Jayce wasn't any better here than in Jamie's dimension and probably no better if she returned to her own. Drift was hoping he'd be able to keep her safe, help Crosshairs, and, if possible, be with Jamie.   
"Come here." He moved her into his lap and hugged her tightly.  
She needs something to know there's hope, they both do, but I don't want to tell them then Jamie has a setback.  
Cade watched, hating the pain Jayce was in and how she gave up. He left after a minute.

"She's asleep already?" Cade asked.  
"Yeah, it's all she wants to do."  
"You're bothered by something."  
"Have you seen Jayce's face? J.R. did that. She was furious at Jayce, and I'm not sure if she still is."  
"I thought J.R. wanted Jayce to come back?"  
"She did until she realized Jayce gave up on Jamie, and J.R. felt Jayce abandoned them. Though she was concerned seeing Jayce's arm, I'm not sure if she's still furious at Jayce. They both have very little hope," Crosshairs said as he looked at J.R.

Two hours later, Jayce and J.R. are left alone, but Crosshairs and Drift can still see them. Unknown to them, the longer J.R. sees Jayce, the angrier she gets.  
"...We should tell them about Jamie," Crosshairs insists.  
"No, I don't want to give them hope that could be lost. Until Jamie isn't at a high chance of setbacks, we're not telling them."  
"They need something. They're falling apart."

"I'm sorry," Jaycee tried to apologize, but she was afraid of how J.R. will respond.   
"Sorry?! You gave up on Jamie and abandoned me. You split the team, and I'm supposed to think you're sorry?!" She got up and walked up to Jayce. Jayce was afraid of what J.R. would do. J.R. picked her up by her clothes and threw her several feet. Jayce watched J.R. run up to her.  
"Stop, J.R. you're letting your anger blind you!"  
"Stop, J.R!" Crosshairs yelled. J.R. picked up Jayce again and threw her into a pile of cars just like Jayce did to her. Crosshairs and Drift watched as Jayce fell to the ground.  
"Shit," Crosshairs ran to Jayce. J.R. ran towards her, but Bumblebee comes out of nowhere and grabs her; he has a tight grip on her  
"Stop - fighting."   
"Easy, Bee. Anger is blinding her thinking," Drift says before joining Crosshairs by Jayce.   
"Come on, Jayce, wake up."   
"Don't touch her. Go get Bulma."  
Crosshairs did as Drift instructed. Bee was still keeping a grip on J.R.  
I just hope this is like when J.R. got knocked out, but I noticed that J.R. used more of her strength. Drift looked at Jayce's injuries. The cut J.R. gave her two days ago, and the cuts she gave herself are now bleeding, and she had several cuts on both arms. All Drift could do was hope these weren't deep and that Jayce would wake up soon.

Crosshairs comes back with Bulma, Cade, and Hound two minutes later,  
'What the hell?" Cade exclaims.  
"I told you this was bad," Crosshairs says, concerned.  
"J.R. used more force than when Jayce knocked her out," Drift told Bulma.  
'Wait? J.R. was knocked out? You telling me these two have been fighting each other?"  
Drift explains to Bulma what happened.  
"I watched them fight. Jayce wasn't fighting at full strength. I don't think she meant to knock J.R. out," Hound tells her.  
"And J.R...shit," Cade looks at Jayce, hoping she doesn't have any serious injuries. By now, Bumblebee had walked away from the others. He still had J.R. in his grasp.  
"I won't know anything until she wakes up. Guess it's a good thing I made several of these."  
She took out a capsule that revealed a stretcher. Cade helped Bulma put Jayce on it. Hound walked away to join Bee.  
"You go with them, I'll help Bee with J.R," Drift insisted, hating how he failed to protect Jayce,  
"No, she'll want you when she wakes up," Crosshairs put a hand on Drift's shoulder, "I didn't know J.R. was still this angry, I could blame myself for this, but we can't point fingers, we need to help them."   
Drift was amazed Crosshairs said that. He followed Bulma and Cade. Crosshairs watched, hoping Jayce didn't have any serious injuries.

"Stop!" Bumblebee was having a hard time keeping his grip on J.R.  
"Let me go!" J.R. yelled. Bumblebee knew she wasn't trying to break free. J.R. could break free, no problem.  
Why are you yelling to be let go but not even trying? Hound wondered.   
"Let her go, Bee." Crosshairs yelled. Bumblebee released J.R. in front of Crosshairs to grab her if she tried to run, but she didn't. Crosshairs got her to sit on the ground.  
I know you're furious Jayce gave up, but you didn't have to fight her.  
Hound and Bee leave Crosshairs alone.

"These aren't deep," Bulma said as she cleaned the cuts. Drift leans on the wall by the entrance. He hated seeing Two of his friends down and how this time felt different from when J.R. was knocked out. Not because it was Jayce this time, but because of what caused the fight, add how much anger J.R. had. Jayce was mad J.R. left while she was asleep. No one who knew how to care for Jamie if she declined was around, but J.R. is furious Jayce gave up on Jamie and left.  
"Drift, it's not your fault. Not for this or when J.R. was knocked out," Cade tried to assure Drift.  
"No one could have prevented it from happening besides them. Jayce pissed off J.R.and before J.R. pissed off Jayce," Bulma pointed out.  
"It's that bastard's fault when you think of it," Cade adds.  
"She'll be ok," Bulma assures Drift. Drift decided while Jayce is out to sit by Jamie.  
I would have liked to say they'll both be ok, but it's still unknown with Jamie. Bulma thought as she watched Drift sit on the chair by the bed.

When J.R. calmed down ten minutes later, all she wanted to do was make sure Jayce was ok. Crosshairs wanted to let her see Jayce, but with the emotional state she's in, he wasn't sure if it was a good idea. Crosshairs wasn't sure how Drift was holding up either. Bumblebee and Hound devised a plan to help Crosshairs and if it's too much for J.R.   
"Bulma, J.R. wants to see Jayce," Hound informed Bulma as he walked into the building. He told her how they had a plan to get her out if it's too much for her. Bulma isn't sure if it's a good idea but agrees. Drift watches as Crosshairs and J.R. walk towards where Jayce is, ready to help if needed.   
"I'm sorry," J.R. said before bawling. Crosshairs side hugged her, and she leaned on him. Drift walked up to them.  
"It's ok, she'll be ok," Drift said as he knelt down and put a hand on her shoulder.  
"What are you going to do if she wants to see Jamie?" Cade whispered.  
"Let her," Bulma sighed, "though I doubt she'll notice the slight improvement. I'd like to keep Jayce and J.R. away from Jamie until there's a significant improvement, but I think it's impossible. J.R., in particular, will just become more upset."  
Sure enough, five minutes later, J.R. wants to see Jamie too. Crosshairs and Drift look at each other, unsure if it's a good idea.   
"It's fine," Bulma tells them. Bumblebee, who has been at the entrance in his Cybertronian form, nods. Crosshairs knows he's saying to let J R. see Jamie and stick to the plan if it becomes too much for her. Crosshairs and Drift stay with her as she sits by Jamie. She looks at Jamie for a minute before hugging Drift.  
Do you have guilt too? Drift wonders as he hugs her.  
Crosshairs and Drift get J.R. to leave five minutes later. Drift ends up carrying her out. They both want to get J.R. to eat since she didn't eat much before fighting Jayce. They knew she wouldn't eat much, but it was something.   
"Go be with Jamie. She will not let me go. I think I know why."  
Crosshairs nodded and walked away. He could guess why J.R. won't let Drift go.   
"What's going on with you?" Drift asked, "come on; you know keeping emotions bottled up eventually makes you angry."  
J.R. told him how she was angry at Jayce for leaving again and for giving up on Jamie. She felt Jayce abandoned them. Drift found out just like Jayce, J.R. felt like a burden and failed to help Jamie. J.R. didn't say, but Drift figured that meant she thinks she broke his spark. He assumed she already told Crosshairs what she just told him. Drift repeated what he told Jayce though he wasn't sure if it helped either of them.  
"...What about you? Did you give up on Jamie?"  
"I don't know. She flatlined twice and is showing no signs of improvement. I know this isn't the first time she's been like this, but..." She started crying. Drift wasn't sure what to say.  
Twenty minutes pass before Crosshairs comes back. He sees J.R. still has a hold on Drift and is trying not to fall asleep.  
"Guess you're not going anywhere," Crosshairs joked as he sat on the other side of J.R., "I didn't do as good as you."  
"Then why has she been staying with you?"  
They needed to talk but not with J.R. around. Drift sees Hound walking up to them.  
Perfect timing, now hopefully J.R. will go with him.  
Unfortunately, J.R. refused.  
"Go, Crosshairs. One of us should be there when Jayce wakes up," Drift insisted. Crosshairs walked away, and Hound sat where Crosshairs was sitting.  
"She feels terrible about what she did."  
"I think she thinks Jayce will be out for a long time like Jamie, Hound."


	22. Concussion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While waiting for Jayce to wake up, Crosshairs and Drift talk about how they can't believe how angery J.R. got at Jayce and how they want the two girls to do something, but they know they have a new be careful not to force them. When Jayce finally wakes up, Bulma worries Jayce has a serious injury. Another problem is Drift needs to retrieve his Cybertronian body. It will get ugly if Crosshairs and Vegeta cross paths, but Drift thinks that won't happen, and he'll be quick. Unfortunately, J.R. watched Bulma and Crosshairs leave. The sight of Bulma pushing a stretcher terrifies her. Drift is able to get her to calm down before going to Bulma's dimension. Bulma discovers Jayce has a concussion and wants her to stay in her dimension for a day. This adds to the list of challenges everyone must deal with. Later at night, Crosshairs goes to talk to Bulma but seeing her and Cade by Jamie late at night terrified him, add what he heard Cade say. He runs to another area of the property, terrified Jamie will flatline again and won't be revived.

Jayce has been unconscious for a little over an hour.  
Come on, Jayce, wake up. J.R. is afraid you'll be out like Jamie. She can't take seeing you and Jamie down. None of us can. Crosshairs looks at all the cuts J.R. gave her. I can't believe J.R. did this.  
He watched her for a few minutes, hoping she'd wake up before sitting by Jamie. Drift joins him fifteen minutes later.  
"She let go?"  
"She fell asleep. I know she was trying not to. Hound insisted on taking her."  
"You sure that's a good idea?"  
"She sleeps for hours, should be fine."  
"What are we going to do? If J.R. is that angry at Jayce."  
"I don't think she is anymore. She's afraid Jayce will be out for days like Jamie. It's bad enough we have to separate them at night, so they get a little sleep, plus they hate watching each other in pain. I hope they don't have to be separated until this nightmare over, and they've healed enough emotionally. By then, we'll...hopefully have Jamie to help. I don't think she'll come out of this without hurting emotionally."  
Crosshairs hated how Drift said 'hopefully' even though Crosshairs knew Jamie is still very weak.  
"I know what's been bothering both of them. Still, there's not much we can do. Both girls feel like they're a burden even though they feel a little better being with us, J.R. barely has hope, and Jayce gave up." Drift says.  
"I hate how there's little we can do to help them and how they don't want to do anything." Crosshairs adds.  
"Doesn't help that they rarely do things apart while they're here. Strange they do when they're in Jamie's dimension."  
"But rarely."  
"True."  
"You can try to get them to do something. Just be careful not to force them to," Bulma jumped in, "I also hate how they don't want to do anything, but as you said, Drift, the three of them are together most of the time. "You know it wasn't always like that? They'd take time away from each other as Jamie does from you guys or other friends. They changed after what Jadin did."  
"We have to make sure Jayce is ok, first," Drift said, looking at Jayce.

Crosshairs and Drift stayed in the building for another two hours. They were getting worried that Jayce has been out for three and a half hours now. They spent most of their time by Jamie until twenty minutes ago.  
"Come on, wake up," Drift said, worried.  
"Come on, Jayce," Crosshairs fretted.  
Bulma was with them, getting concerned that Jayce could have a serious concussion. They watched Jayce wake up five minutes later.  
This isn't good. Bulma thought, watching Jayce try to shield her eyes from the light, which wasn't as bright as outside or where Jamie is. Both Drift and Crosshairs watched, worried that Jayce had a serious injury. Bulma insisted they sit by her. She debated sedating Jayce as a quick fix but opted for the standard painkiller even though it'll take some time to kick in. Jayce took the drug before lying on her side, facing the back of the building. It's a little darker, and she kept her eyes closed.  
"You're ok," Drift assured her as he held her hand. He took Crosshairs' Hand and put it on Jayce's, "we're here for you."  
Jayce knew they'd make sure J.R. was ok for both of them to stay with her.  
Unknown to them, Cade had walked in.  
"What do you need to do?" He asked Bulma.  
"I have to take her to my dimension to get checked out. She might be ok, but the light sensitivity could be a sign that this is serious."  
"How's Drift going to go with you? His Cybertronian form is still at the back of the property. I doubt he can get past J.R."  
"You go with her, Crosshairs. I'll meet you guys," Drift tells Crosshairs, "I promise, Jayce."  
Bulma signaled to Drift that she wanted to talk to him.  
"Crosshairs can't go to my dimension."  
"I doubt Vegeta will be around. Jayce needs one of us. I'll be as quick as possible."  
"All right."  
They explained to Jayce what Bulma wants to do, and as Drift expected, Jayce didn't want him to go because Crosshairs had to go back to J.R.  
"It's ok. Hound and Bee are with her." Crosshairs assured her.  
She's in pain but still worried about J.R. All three of them worry about others before themselves. It's amazing.

Hound, Bee, and J.R. were nowhere in sight. Crosshairs deactivated his holoform and transformed. Bulma instructed Cade how to contact her if needed and how to open a portal for Drift while opening one for herself and Crosshairs. She strapped Jayce to the stretcher before they left.

"Get back here, J.R.!" Hound yelled. J.R. was running towards the building. She stopped when she saw the portal and saw Bulma pushing something and Crosshairs behind her.  
"No!" She cried and fell on her knees. She watched them enter the portal. She stood up and tried to run, but Bee grabbed her.  
"Put me down, Bee!" She yelled. Hound and Bee watched the portal close.  
"Shit, Bee, keep a grip on her," Hound instructed as he ran towards the building. Unfortunately, J.R. broke free and ran as fast as she could pass Hound.  
"Get back here, J.R.!" Hound yelled.  
Drift was running towards them when he noticed J R. Running  
Shit. He thought as he ran towards her to stop her. He grabbed her before she ran past him and got her on her knees.  
"What's going on?" Hound asked when he caught up.  
Drift put his hands on J R.'s shoulders.  
"Listen to me, J.R., Jayce is ok. Bulma just wants to be safe and get her checked out."  
Come on, you know I wouldn't lie if she wouldn't be ok.  
It took a few minutes before J.R. would go with Bee and Hound.  
Not good. Drift thought as he ran to his Cybertronian form. He rushed to get to the building and into the portal.

Drift found Crosshairs' had transformed to vehicle mode before activating his holoform, so Drift did the same before entering Capsule Corp.  
He found Crosshairs staring at what Drift thought was the wall before he got closer, he realized it was a viewing window. They just watched Jayce get her head scanned.  
Bulma comes out twenty minutes later.  
"Well, the scan found nothing. I want Jayce to stay here for a day, but if she wants to stay longer or you think she needs to stay longer, Drift, them she can," she sighed. Bulma hated having to tell Crosshairs and Drift about how Jayce most likely has a mild concussion and may have a persistent headache for up to two weeks, but she can give Jayce painkillers. As expected, Crosshairs and Drift hated hearing Jayce wasn't lucky like J.R. and is injured even if it is minor.  
"J.R. caught you, didn't she?" Bulma asked.  
"She saw you guys leave, she's scared."  
Bulma and Crosshairs knew what J.R. was thinking.  
"Let me see Jayce before I go," Crosshairs insisted. Jayce was moved to a room while they were talking.

"I hate this; now the team is divided across dimensions again," Crosshairs commented as they walked.  
"Me too, I have no idea how will we handle J.R."  
"I know; I don't think she should be here, but how else are we going to show her Jayce is ok?"  
"I'll take care of that," Bulma assured them.

She brought them to a room. They found Jayce in bed, lying on her side. By now, the painkillers kicked in, but she still kept her eyes closed. Crosshairs knelt beside the bed and held her hand.  
"It's me, Crosshairs. I have to go now but, Drift is staying here."  
No one expected Jayce to insist Drift go with Crosshairs. She knows J.R. will be difficult.  
"Well?" Crosshairs asked Drift  
"No, I'm not leaving her here alone."  
"I'll take care of J.R.," Crosshairs promised Jayce before walking away, Bulma followed to open a portal for him. Drift sat in a chair by the bed.  
No way I'm leaving her while she's like this.

"Good luck. I'll come back soon," Bulma told Crosshairs before he walked through the portal.  
"How is she?" A voice asked; Bulma knew it was Vegeta.  
At least you waited until Crosshairs left.  
"Not good, none of the girls are doing good."  
Saying nothing, Vegeta walks away.

Crosshairs transformed into his vehicle mode, parked in the carport, and activated his holoform. He figured J.R. was at the back of the property.  
He found J.R. sitting by the fence, knees up, arms resting in them, and her head resting on her arms. Hound was watching her from a distance. Crosshairs walked up to Hound.  
"She's been like that since you guys left. What's going on?" Crosshairs explained what was going on.  
"...Though I suspect Drift will want her to stay longer. It's better there. She won't be exposed to bright light, unlike here. Problem is J.R."  
"You know what she's thinking?"  
Crosshairs nodded before he walked up to J.R. and sat next to her. He was hoping she was asleep. J.R. looked up to see who just sat next to her, moved onto his lap, and leaned in on him. Crosshairs just hugged her. He wanted to wait until Bulma got back to tell her what's going on. It was strange that she wasn't crying. Crosshairs wasn't sure if this was a good thing, or J.R. found another way to keep her emotions bottled up. Even Hound wasn't sure if this was a good thing.

Bulma found Drift leaning on the wall in the hallway.  
"She's asleep," Drift told her.  
"She'll wake up when the painkillers wear off," she gave him a bottle of painkillers, "one is enough; I'll try to be back in a few hours. I better get back to help Crosshairs with J.R."  
Bulma didn't know that Vegeta was walking up toward them. She walked away, but Vegeta kept walking towards Drift. He stopped in front of Drift.  
"You're lucky Crosshairs didn't see you. He is furious at what you did. How Jamie can forgive you and say you're a friend, I'll never understand."  
Drift walks back into the room, Vegeta just walked away.  
Drift kept the lights dimmed enough that he could see Jayce. He sat in the chair and just watched Jayce, hoping she'll sleep for a while.

"Well?" Cade asked when Bulma came back. Bulma told him about Jayce before going to find J.R.  
Fantastic Cade sighed as he walked towards his trailer.

Bulma found Bumblebee and Hound near where Crosshairs and J.R. were. She saw how scared J.R. was and telling her Jayce was ok didn't help.  
"She feels so bad for what she did."  
"It's more than that, Bulma."  
Bulma knew Crosshairs wouldn't talk about it with J.R. around. She just walked away.  
"I have to go back to my dimension for a while," Bulma informed Hound.  
"It's fine, Bulma."  
Bulma checked on Jamie before going back to her dimension.  
At least Jamie should be ok while I'm gone.

Jayce has been sleeping for an hour. Drift continues to sit by the bed and watches her, knowing she has nightmares, and the headache will be back. Bulma walks in and stands next to Drift.  
"Is J.R. all right?" He asks.  
"I think she feels bad about what she did. I couldn't tell if she's still scared about Jayce," she hands him a capsule, "here, I made another capsule as Crosshairs has. Jayce might not get out of bed," that scares Drift, "between the headache, light sensitivity. She may also feel dizzy and nauseous. I know you're not pleased hearing all this, but this could have been a lot worse."  
Bulma knew he was distracted by all the crap Jayce may have to deal with, wondering for how long and should he have Jayce stay here longer. He wanted to go back and help Crosshairs and be with Jamie, but the junkyard is the worst place for Jayce right now. Bulma left but aimed to be back in two hours.

Crosshairs tried to get J.R. to eat, but she was too worried about her friends. She wanted to see Jamie and Jayce.  
Damn it; I can easily tell her no to seeing Jayce but not Jamie.  
Bulma comes by twenty minutes later.  
"J.R. is still not eating much?" She asks as she looks at J.R. lying on the ground beside Crosshairs.  
"No, at least she's staying hydrated, but I'm worried."  
"I know, but what we can do."  
"She wants to see her friends."  
"I'm leaving that to you and Drift. You know Jayce needs rest, and she'll be distraught when it comes to Jamie no matter what you decide," Bulma walks away.

"When you going back to your dimension?" Hound asks as Bulma passed him.  
"A little later tonight, why? You want to come?"  
"I think Crosshairs better go back. J.R. will be sleeping. Should be ok for a few hours."  
"That's what Drift said when he told Crosshairs to stay with Jayce, and well, you know what happened. Though with how she's been feeling. I don't know, talk to Crosshairs," she walked away.

J.R. fell asleep three hours later. Crosshairs wondered if she'd sleep all night because of what happened today, and she didn't sleep all day, but he knew a nightmare could wake her up. He watched Hound approach him.  
"No." He said before Hound could say anything.  
"You need to take a break from her. You have to be with Jamie, and Jayce needs you too. Same with Drift. You saw how J.R. was with him earlier today. I'm here to help you both, and Bumblebee wants to help too."  
"You know how hard it is to wake the girls up from a nightmare, and they wake up scared. I don't think either of them waking up and not finding Drift or me is a good idea."  
"What's the problem?" Bulma asks as she walks up to them. Crosshairs and Hound look at each other, not sure who should tell her. Bulma knew what the problem was. She suggested they both come with her and talk to Drift about a plan.  
"... It shouldn't take long. Bumblebee can watch her."  
"What about me?" Cade jumps in.  
"I thought you went to bed."  
"No."  
"Well, Crosshairs?"  
Crosshairs looked at J.R. and thought about what Hound said, "fine."  
He still wasn't sure if this was a good idea. They went to Bulma's dimension now instead of when Bulma planned on leaving.

Four hours of sleep, this is good. I just hope she sleeps all night.  
Drift still hated how both girls were only calm when they were asleep until they had a nightmare, the emotional pain they are in, and now they've gotten physical.  
Drift didn't think Crosshairs would come back and wondered why Hound was here.  
"I was hoping she'd be awake," Hound commented.  
"No, you don't," Drift said when in a sad tone.  
"It's not a pleasant sight, Hound," Crosshairs added.  
Hound knew they meant they hated watching Jayce in pain though it's not the worst pain humans endure.  
"You three talk. I have to do something." Bulma said as she headed towards the door.  
I doubt Jayce will want to eat, and J.R. isn't. They need something.  
"What's going on?" Drift asks, worried J.R. now turned to self-harm, but Crosshairs wouldn't leave J.R. alone if she harmed herself.  
Crosshairs and Hound told him about their conversation.  
"Crosshairs is right. They find comfort being with him or me. Not a good idea to have them wake up scared and not find either of us."  
"The only idea then are shifts. I know you want to come back and be with Jamie, Drift." Hound says.  
"Unbelievable that we have to even think of this. They should be together. This shouldn't have happened. None of this.should have happened," Crosshairs was getting angry and left the room.  
"When is Jayce coming back?"  
"The junkyard isn't a good place for her in her condition. It could be several weeks, which I know J.R. won't like."

Crosshairs and Bulma came back twenty minutes later. Crosshairs decided he'd stay for a few hours but told Hound to call if he's needed. Bulma returned with Hound. She wanted to make sure J.R. was still sleeping and see if Cade was fine with staying with her for a few more hours before returning to her dimension. She returned to working on what she was working on for a while.

Crosshairs and Drift sat quietly, thinking about a plan but, Jayce's moaning interrupted them.  
"Damn it. Guess six and a half hours is good," Drift said as he got the painkillers and water for Jayce.  
"Jayce, I have some painkillers for you. You want them?" She tried sitting up but was very dizzy. Crosshairs had to help her. Drift hugged her as tears started rolling down her face. Bulma walks in two minutes later.  
"What's that?" Crosshairs asked.  
"Nutritional drink. It's what we will have to give the girls for now."  
Bulma tried to get Jayce to drink it, but she didn't want to. She was too uncomfortable to drink.  
"You still have that capsule I gave you?" She asked Crosshairs. He handed her the capsule, and she gave him a different capsule. It was a fridge stocked with the nutritional drink. She also had one for Drift.  
Drift tried to get Jayce to lie down, but she just wanted him, no matter how much the headache hurt. Crosshairs tried to help the best he could.  
Jayce fell asleep fifteen minutes later. Drift laid her back in bed.  
"You want to go back?" Crosshairs asked.  
"No, I want to make sure she's ok with that. Normally she would be, but I'm not sure if she will be now."  
Crosshairs decided he had to get back before J.R. woke up. Bulma returned with him.

It relieved crosshairs to see J.R. still asleep. He told Bumblebee, Cade, and Hound about Jayce.  
"...I told you it's not good. She may have been lucky not to have any serious injuries, but this is bad."  
Damn, Drift's right, Jayce can't be here right now. How long before J.R. resorts to self-harm to punish herself for what she did? Hound thought, looking at J.R.  
The others were thinking the same. Cade went to his trailer as Bulma went to check on J.R.  
"Bulma, is there anything you can do so Jayce can come back?" Hound asked.  
"Yes, but not without creating other problems. She'd be in the building and with Jamie there. She'd be too worried about Jamie and not rest."  
"Right," Hound sighed. Bulma returned to the building.

A half-hour passes before Crosshairs goes to talk to Bulma.  
"Stay with her," Crosshairs instructs Hound before walking away.  
Crosshairs wanted to ask Bulma about Jamie, but seeing both her and Cade in the building at 11 pm worried him.  
"Well?" Cade asked Bulma. Crosshairs looked in the building. He could tell they were looking at the monitor but couldn't read it from where he was standing.  
"I don't know," he heard Bulma say. He was going to stay, but when Cade said 'heart rate dropping again,' Crosshairs ran away from the area. Bulma and Cade heard his footsteps.  
"Shit, he heard us," Bulma wanted to go after him, but she had to care for Jamie.  
Come on, Jamie. Don't die on us again.  
Cade watched Bulma do all she could to try to stabilize Jamie's heart rate.  
Don't give up on her, Bulma but, how much more can Jamie take?


	23. Rapid Mental Decline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Crosshairs finds a place to hide away from everyone and collect himself, Bumblebee and Hound struggle to deal with J.R., who's woken up, frightened. Bumblebee and Hound find out what is likely frightening J.R. before Bulma injects a sedative in J.R. Once J.R. is asleep, Hound takes her to the back of the junkyard while Bulma finds Crosshairs. She tells him what's going on with Jamie and J.R., though Crosshairs feels guilty that he wasn't there for J.R. when she needed him. The next morning, Drift returns to the junkyard to discover how much J.R> struggled, hating he can't return to the junkyard to help Crosshairs. The two go to Bulma's dimension with Hound. Drift made sure Jayce is ok with Hound being with her while Drift helps Crosshairs with J.R. for the day. Once the two mechs returned to the junkyard, Drift insists Crosshairs go recharge. J.R. is happy to see Drift until he tells her Jayce is staying in Bulma's dimension for a while. She runs off and opens a portal that closes before Drift can jump in it. He urges Bulma to find where J.R. went, afraid of what she might be planning on doing.

Crosshairs found a place to sit away from everyone, a place where no one would look, terrified that Jamie would flatline again.  
No, this can't be happening again. How much more can Jamie take?  
Crosshairs tried not to think about it and let himself cry.

"No!" J.R. abruptly woke up and yelled. Hound quickly held on to her. Bumblebee was ready in case he had to take her as he watched J.R. fight Hound's grip, calling for Crosshairs.  
"Do you know where he went?" Hound asked Bee, but Bumblebee didn't know where Crosshairs went. "Something is wrong for her to be this scared and call for him."  
Shit, Jamie. Not again.  
J.R. broke free while Hound was distracted.  
"Shit, get back here," Hound and Bee ran after her.

"What the.." Cade heard Hound yelling. He ran out of the building to see what's going on. When he noticed J.R. running towards him  
He rushed to stop her from running into the building. He had to jump on her to stop her.  
"Stop!" He yelled as he tried to keep her from running off, "where is Crosshairs?"  
"I don't know," Hound replied as he helped Cade keep J.R. from running off. Cade had to restrain J.R. with his arms and legs.  
"What happened? Why's she terrified?" Cade asked.  
"I don't know, she woke up, yelled 'no' and ran off."  
Shit, I know why she's like this.  
Bulma comes out caring a syringe, Cade watches her inject J.R. with something, and J.R. calms.  
"Did you just..?" Cade asks, shocked.  
"Yes. Nothing else will work."  
"What's going on?" Hound asks. Bulma tells him.  
"... I'm guessing Jamie's energy is dropping, and J.R. senses it. In her mental state, she's not thinking straight, and well, you know."  
"Is Jamie ok?"  
"She has a low heart rate again."  
"Shit wasn't that the-.?"  
"Yes, but do you remember she had a low heart rate for several days after Jadin's attack? Unfortunately, you're right, she could flatline again, but this isn't an immediate sign of that. It's complicated, for now, it's stable though still low. Unfortunately, Crosshairs heard us talking about it, and he ran off. He's terrified Jamie will flatline again. I wouldn't be mad at him. He will not like hearing about J.R."  
"You see why he doesn't leave her alone? She's getting more difficult too. Putting up a fight now," Cade added. By now, J.R. is asleep.  
"Take her, Hound," Bulma instructed, "I will look for Crosshairs."  
Hound took J.R. back to the spot she sleeps, Bumblebee follows him. Bulma walks away, and Cade goes back into the building.

This isn't good. If Jamie's energy is dropping while having a slow heart rate, yet it wasn't a concern to Jayce or J.R. when all this started, is their mental state that bad? Can they sense something else that tells them Jamie isn't doing good? Cade wondered.

Fifteen minutes alone didn't help Crosshairs. He could only get himself to stop crying, but he was still terrified. He just wanted to hide from everyone. It was getting harder not to think about Jamie dying.  
Bulma finds Crosshairs five minutes later.  
"She's stable," Bulma said as she walked up to Crosshairs.  
"For how much longer? How much more can her body take?"  
Shit, he's losing hope. Is that why Drift won't come back? Now's not the time to tell him.  
"I don't know. You need to get back to J.R."  
"Don't tell me she woke up?"  
"She did," Bulma sighed, "frightened and calling for you."  
"Shit."  
"Bumblebee and Hound tried to take care of it, but she was difficult. I had to use a sedative to get her to calm down and sleep. She may wake up in a few hours or sleep all night."  
"Unbelievable, I left her when she needed me."  
"It's ok. I know you didn't want J.R. to see you upset," Bulma walked away. Crosshairs stayed where he was a little longer.

"You didn't tell him, did you?" Cade asked as Bulma walked into the building.  
"Now's not a good time. Crosshairs needs to go back to J.R."  
"There will never be a good time, but I think not telling any of them isn't good either."  
"Either way, they'll worry. It's a matter of how much do we want them to worry. I don't know if I can tell them."  
"It's late. Think about it tomorrow," Cade says and walks away.

"I'm sorry," Crosshairs said to Hound.  
"It's fine. Better she didn't see you upset," Hound walked away.  
I'm sorry J.R. Crosshairs watched J.R. sleep, hating that Bulma had to use a drug to get her to sleep. Though he's also hoping the drug will last all night so she wouldn't have a nightmare.

It relieved Drift that Jayce didn't wake up from a nightmare, but he figured it was the painkillers that kept her asleep.  
"How was she overnight?" Bulma asked as she walked into the room and closed the door.  
"Slept all night, but I hate how it was because of the painkillers."  
"I know, would be great if they'd both stop having nightmares."  
"J.R. didn't have a good night; I take it?"  
"No, you need to go back and talk to Crosshairs. I'll stay here; I want to see how Jayce is doing anyway."  
Drift didn't want to leave until Jayce woke up but figured Bulma could keep her calm, so he left.

"What are you doing here?" Crosshairs whispered as Drift sat next to him.  
"Bulma insisted I come back. Says J.R. didn't have a good night."  
"No. Bulma even had to use a sedative to get her to calm down and sleep."  
"What!?" Drift was surprised J.R. was that bad and that Bulma would even do what she did.  
"It's my fault. I stepped away for twenty minutes. She woke up frightened and wanted me."  
"Why was she frightened?"  
"I don't know," Crosshairs lied.  
"It's obvious she's getting more difficult. You need my help, but I can't leave Jayce alone."  
"Let me stay with her," Hound insisted, "I know you want to make sure Jayce is ok with me staying there. Let's go now before J.R. wakes up. Bumblebee can watch her."  
Crosshairs didn't want to leave J R. alone. Not after last night, but he'd make sure he'd be quick.

"You're going to tell Jayce how J.R. was difficult last night?" Bulma asked Crosshairs and Drift. They were standing in the hallway by the room.  
"What else can we say? Not much room for a lie here," Crosshairs pointed out.  
"How about I want to help, and Drift could use a break?" Hound asked.  
"That might work. It's true; both of you need to take a break. The problem is it's impossible now."  
"Did Jayce eat?" Drift asked.  
"She tried to but ended up vomiting."  
All three mechs are concerned.

Jayce was awake though Drift knew the painkillers would wear off soon. Drift explained to her what they wanted to do. Jayce was a little hesitant but knew Drift had to help Crosshairs with J.R. For now, the plan is just for today, but Drift would come back if Jayce wanted him to. Crosshairs left before J.R. woke up. Drift stayed a little longer. Jayce tried to sit up to hug Drift. Hound hated how she wasn't doing good. Drift hugged her as she let tears roll down her face.  
I hate how you can't be with Jamie or help Crosshairs with J.R. more than my condition.  
"It's ok. You'll feel better soon," Drift wanted to say that Jamie would be better soon, but he knew it was still unknown. As Drift expected, the painkillers wore off. He knew Jayce was trying to deal with the headache without painkillers, but it was clear she was very uncomfortable. He got her to take more painkillers and lay down.  
"She might sleep most of the day."  
"It's fine. Now go."  
Hound sat on a chair by the bed.  
They both need to be with both Jayce and J.R. They both need to be with Jamie. I hate even with my help; they still can't be with Jamie.

It relieved crosshairs to see J.R. was still sleeping. He and Drift could talk and still watch her. Bumblebee left him alone. Drift joined him ten minutes later.  
"How long are you having Jayce stay in Bulma's dimension?"  
"Maybe until she recovers," Drift sighed, "and J.R. isn't in a good mental state to see her. It's clear she's troubled about what she did."  
"Damn it, so all we can do is take turns being with each of them. Bad enough, we can't make them the slightest bit happy, and now they'll be separated for a while. It was bad enough they have to be separated at night but now separated in two dimensions."  
"I know. I hate it, but there's nothing else we can do. Go take a break and recharge for a while."  
Crosshairs knew J.R. would be ok with Drift, so he left.

J.R. woke up a half-hour later. She was happy to see Drift but wondered if Jayce came back and where is Crosshairs? Drift hated how J.R. started tearing up as he told her he was having Jayce stay in Bulma's dimension until she recovered.  
Damn it; I can't believe she's that injured. J.R. thought. She knew it could have been worse, but she didn't mean to hurt Jayce at all. Drift was expecting her to convince him to let her see Jayce and surprised that she didn't. He got her to drink one of the nutrition drinks Bulma made, hating how that's how they have to make sure she doesn't starve herself. He was hoping Jayce wasn't the same way.  
"You need to go be with Jamie," J.R. insisted.  
"No, I'm not leaving you alone."  
I can't tell him Jamie's energy was fading last night, but how much more can she take?  
"No, go."  
J.R. is trying not to tear up, but she couldn't fight it.  
Something happened last night, but I can't ask her. Drift thought as he hugged J.R as she let herself cry. She was considering going somewhere away from here. Maybe her dimension, Maybe she'd just go somewhere away from the junkyard. Still, she also felt she had to stay here even though Jayce would be in Bulma's dimension for a while, and she hated sensing Jamie's energy fading.  
Damn it, I was hoping to get her to do something, but I doubt she will now.  
Drift didn't expect J.R. to break free fifteen minutes later. He tried to keep a hold on her, but he broke free. He ran after her. She was running towards Bumblebee. Bumblebee tried to grab her. J.R. decided; she opened a portal and jumped into it. Drift tried to go after her, but he was too late.  
"No! Not good."  
Drift and Bumblebee ran to the building.

"Bulma!" Drift yelled as he ran into the building.  
"What's wrong?" She asked. She knew it was about J.R.  
"J.R. left. I couldn't stop her."  
"Shit," Bulma knew Drift meant J.R. left the dimension. She tried to figure out where she went but couldn't, "I can't find where she went. I don't know how she even masked where she's going. I will keep trying to figure out where she went."  
"Not -your-fault-Drift," Bumblebee was standing at the entrance.  
"Bee's right, I doubt she wouldn't have done this if Crosshairs was with her."  
"Please find where she went. I'm worried she will harm herself."  
"I am too. I'll do my best."  
Bulma watched Drift sit by Jamie. She knew he wasn't trying to find a distraction. He was worried about all three of the girls.  
I was hoping I'd be sitting here because I could, not because I'm waiting to find out where J.R went. Come on, Jamie, we need you to recover. I don't want to lose you.  
Bulma watched as Drift let himself cry.  
There will never be a good time to tell them They don't need the extra worry. I'm not telling them.

Crosshairs only wanted to do a quick recharge though he could have used a longer recharge. He activated his holoform and headed towards the building.  
He found Bumblebee sitting on the pile of cars by the building.  
"Is something wrong?" He asked Bee, and Bumblebee pointed to the building.  
Oh shit. Crosshairs thought as he walked in, he didn't expect Drift to be by Jamie, sleeping.  
"What happened?" He asked Bulma.  
"J.R. left. Drift tried to stop her. She tried to mask where he went, but I figured it out. J.R. deleted the location from the system."  
"Where did she go?"  
"Back to her dimension. I should have known."  
"It's ok, Bulma," Crosshairs debated waking Drift or going by himself.  
"He better go with you. J.R. will be difficult, might need Bumblebee."  
"No, Drift, and I will handle it."  
He walked over to Drift to wake him.  
"I'm sorry I couldn't stop her."  
"I don't think I could have either. Come on, Bulma found where she went."  
"You better go with them, Bulma," Cade insisted.  
"When did you walk in?" She asked.  
"Just after Crosshairs did. I hate to add to everyone's worry, but J R. may have hurt herself."  
Sure enough, everyone is concerned. It took Bulma four hours to figure out J.R. went back to her dimension. Bulma grabbed her box of capsules with medical supplies. She was worried she'd need more than a first aid kit.  
"You go, Jamie is barely stable. I don't think this will be quick," Bulma whispered.  
"I don't know how to take care of every serious injury. Jamie should be ok. I know this is a high risk, but I think J.R. needs you more. The Autobots can detect human energy if she's not surpressing it, which I doubt she is if J.R. thinks she made it so you can't find her or if she's injured."  
Do they know Jamie's energy is low then? Shit. Bulma worried.  
"Ok." Bulma still wasn't sure. Drift and Crosshairs deactivated their holoforms and transformed. Cade and Bumblebee watched the three of them leave.  
"Something tells me this won't end well, Bee."

"I did my best to get us as close to the location where she opened the portal to," Bulma told them.  
"Why the woods?" Crosshairs wondered.  
"Can you find her energy signature?" Bulma asked. The two didn't have to search long.  
"Shit. Hold on, Bulma," Crosshairs grabbed her and put her on his shoulder. The two mechs ran as fast as they could in the woods.  
Not good. I can't believe J.R. would harm herself; she was worried about Jayce and Jamie. Was she feeling that bad about what she did to Jayce?  
They couldn't believe what they saw. Crosshairs put Bulma on the ground. Crosshairs and Drift activated their holoforms, hoping to help.  
"Come on, J.R., wake up," Drift worried.  
"She doesn't have serious injuries. I'd like to know where the hell she got a weapon to cut herself."  
There wasn't a weapon around the area.  
"You think she jumped from there?" Crosshairs asked, worried as he points to a ledge that was fifty feet high.  
"I don't think so. There are no injuries on her head. I won't be able to figure out what happened, but I'm guessing she ended up with a severe panic attack and passed out. The problem is I don't know how long ago. Longer than five minutes, though, not good."  
Crosshairs and Drift looked at each other, worried.  
Unbelievable, now all three of them are down. Both Crosshairs and Drift thought.  
"Well, at least Jayce and J.R. won't be separated in two dimensions. I have to take J.R. back to my dimension."  
Shit, if Jayce is awake and senses J R.'s low energy. Drift worried.  
"Sorry, I tried to lighten up the situation. Bad idea, let's go."  
Bulma got the capsule with the stretcher out. She put J.R. on it and buckles the straps.

"I will see if Jayce is awake. Won't be good if she is," Drift said once they arrived at Bulma's dimension.  
"Go with him, Crosshairs. I'll get you both when I'm done with J.R."  
Crosshairs and Drift watched Bulma wheel J.R. into a room before walking away.

"No!" Jayce cried.  
"You're ok," Hound had to keep Jayce from getting up.  
"J.R. is here and not ok."  
"What?" He helped her sit up, "What do you mean?"  
Crosshairs and Drift walk in.  
"Crap." They both say as they walk to the bed.  
"What's going on?" Hound asked as he moved so that Drift could be with Jayce. Crosshairs motioned for Hound to join him in the hallway so he can explain what's going on.

"Shit. Is J.R. ok?"  
"Bulma is sure she's ok, but she's still unconscious, and that's concerning. I can't believe the girls are harming themselves and each other. Emotionally hurting is bad enough now physically. I'd love to find that bastard and kill her."  
"Even if you knew where to find her, you need to stay here. The girls need you and Drift."

They walked back into the room. Crosshairs sat on the chair next to the bed. Drift was still hugging Jayce. He tried to get her to lie down, but she grabbed his arms.

Bulma comes in a half-hour later. Drift is still hugging Jayce.  
"She won't let go," Crosshairs told her, "she knows J.R. is here."  
"You think she'll be ok seeing J.R?" Bulma asks.  
"I doubt it, but she will not let go," Drift said as he stood up, holding Jayce, "I'll get her out if it's too much for her."  
They knew Jayce was already struggling with dizziness. She already had to rest her head on Drift's shoulder. They weren't sure if she'd have light sensitivity or the painkillers were working enough that light wouldn't bother her.

They walked past several rooms before getting to the one J.R. was in.  
"The scan showed nothing like Jayce's, but I'm sure she doesn't have a concussion. I have her on low oxygen," Bulma informed them before opening the door. J.R. is still unconscious. The mechs were used to seeing all the medical equipment but hated how J.R. is hooked up to it.  
"It's a nasal cannula—1 liter a minute, 24% oxygen. I still can't figure out how J.R. ended up unconscious. There's nothing wrong with her. Well, you know what I mean. All I can do is monitor."

Jayce couldn't take much more of the dizziness but, she wanted to stay with J.R. Bulma told them she could move a bed in the room for her. Crosshairs and Drift hesitated but agreed.  
Drift laid Jayce down on the bed. Everyone hated how worried and uncomfortable she is. The mechs and Bulma left the room to talk.  
"I can't believe she's that weak. Not even ten minutes, and she had to lie down," Hound commented.  
"And that's with painkillers. Jayce will be like that for at least two weeks," Bulma sighed.  
"Damn it," Crosshairs went back into the room.  
"You all right?" Hound asked Drift  
"No, I can't take seeing all three of them down. Crosshairs can't either," Drift tells him before joining Crosshairs.  
"Well, so much for talking about a plan. I have to go back to Jamie. I'll be back in a few hours. If J.R. wakes up, contact me."  
"All right," Hound walked into the room. He saw Crosshairs sitting by J.R. and Drift by Jayce.  
Damn it. Not what I had in mind to get the four of them together.

Drift watches Jayce fight sleep.  
"This is why I debated letting you stay here with J.R. I knew you'd be too worried about her."  
"Come on, Jayce, not doing any good if you will rest to get better," Crosshairs added, "she'll be ok."  
Jayce gave in and let herself fall asleep. They waited ten minutes to be sure she was asleep.  
"Well? What's the plan?" Hound asked.  
"I guess we're staying here for a while," Crosshairs replied. Drift nodded in agreement.  
"Maybe one of us can go back and be with Jamie for a few hours," Drift suggested, "Jayce is too weak to get out of bed, but J.R. is a problem."  
"I can stay here and help." Hound suggested.  
"Maybe," Crosshairs replied, looking at J.R., worried Bulma could be wrong, and she could end up being like Jayce. It's bad enough Jayce is dealing with a concussion but having both of them deal with one.  
"Well, one of you can go now."  
"No." Crosshairs and Drift both  
"Ok, maybe later then."  
Hound decides he's staying with them.

"Well?" Cade asked.  
"I don't know where J.R. found a weapon and cut herself several times, nor can I figure out how she ended up unconscious."  
"What!?"  
"She'll be ok. I don't think she has a concussion as Jayce."  
"Don't tell me Jayce found out?"  
"She did and wanted to stay with J.R. We'll see how that works out. The problem is she ends up worrying about J.R. or Jamie and neglects herself."  
"You didn't tell them, did you?"  
"No, and I never will. They'll find out anyway." Bulma walked away before Cade could say anything more. She checked on Jamie. As Bulma expected, no good change, but Jamie was stable. She returned to her work on her laptop.

Drift leaves the room; he sits on the chair in the hallway. Crosshairs joins him two minutes later, and they sit quietly.

Bulma returned a half-hour later. She didn't expect to find Crosshairs and Drift in the hallway, but she didn't disturb them.  
"She's still not waking up, crap," Bulma commented. She noticed Jayce laying on her stomach, trying to relieve the headache. She tried to get Jayce to take more painkillers, but she didn't want to.  
"She only slept for an hour then woke up when the headache came back," Hound told Bulma.  
"That's not helping, but if this is what she wants," Bulma turned her attention to J R.

Crosshairs and Drift come back into the room, not liking what they're seeing.  
"Come on, Jayce," Drift and Crosshairs got Jayce to sit up, "you're not doing yourself or J.R. any good."  
They noticed she was about to vomit. Hound got the trash bin before Jayce ended up vomiting on herself. They waited a few minutes to make sure she wouldn't vomit again before Drift gave her more painkillers. He knew she wouldn't lay down yet. Thirty minutes pass before she falls asleep, allowing Drift to lay her down.  
"I take it I'm moving her?" Bulma asked.  
"I don't think it'll matter; Jayce will try to get to J.R. somehow."  
Crosshairs stood beside J.R.'s bed.  
Come on, wake up.  
They were all getting worried. J.R. finally woke up five minutes later. No one thought she'd see Jayce right away, and seeing her sleeping scared J.R.  
"It's ok. Jayce is sleeping," Drift assured her.  
Crosshairs and Drift knew J.R. felt weak. They worried she is like Jayce with a concussion. J.R. just stared at Jayce.


	24. A Long Road Ahead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bulma can't figure what caused J.R. to pass out, but she advises Crosshairs and Drift not to ask her. The two mechs think she was trying to give herself a concussion; Bulma agrees and says J.R. can stay with Jayce, causing the two mechs and Hound to think she's hiding something from them. Drift leaves the room to hid how terrified he is from J.R., but she watches him leave and ends up crying. Crosshairs takes J.R. to another room to get her to calm down. Vegeta offers to help, but Crosshairs is pissed; he's the one who indirectly caused this disaster. A little time passes before Crosshairs, Drift, and Hound want to go back to the junkyard to ask Bulma what she is hiding. Still, someone needs to stay and watch Jayce, and J.R. Vegeta offers to watch them, but Crossahirs refuses to let him near the girls, resulting in Hound staying. By the end of the day, Crosshairs, Drift, Hound, and Vegeta find out the unfavorable news.

"Have you figured out what happened?" Crosshairs asked.  
Crosshairs, Drift, and Bulma were in the hallway.  
"No, I don't think we'll know unless we ask J.R., which I strongly suggest we don't. If I had to guess, she had a terrible panic attack and became very stressed, which resulted in passing out. It's unheard of, but so are a lot of things Jamie has been through."  
"Well, she won't be leaving now that she's seen Jayce," Drift pointed out.  
"Not like it matters, J.R. will worry about Jayce at the junkyard," Crosshairs tells them.  
"Maybe staying her will be good for both of them," Bulma said before going back into the room.  
"She's hiding something," Crosshairs observes.  
"We'll ask her later if the girls will be ok with Hound staying so we can go back with her."

They went back into the room. Bulma was checking to make sure J.R. is ok while J.R. stared at Jayce.  
"Shit, you think she was trying to hurt herself as she did to Jayce?" Crosshairs whispered to Drift.  
"Not good if that's what she was trying to do."  
'Well, she's ok," Bulma told them, "well, you know."  
"We're thinking she was trying to end up like Jayce. That's how bad she feels about what she did," Crosshairs informed Bulma.  
"I think she'll stay with Jayce. Doubt she'll try to run off again," Bulma guessed before walking back to J.R.'s bed.  
"I think if Bulma could, Jamie needs to be moved here, but I know she can't," Hound whispered.  
"No, It'll be like at the junkyard," Drift said.|  
"Like staying away from there makes any difference," Crosshairs added, "something is wrong that Bulma is keeping from us."  
"What? Are you sure?" Hound couldn't believe Bulma would hide something from them now.  
"Yes," Drift said in a sad tone before sitting on the chair by Jayce's bed.  
"We're hoping the girls will be ok with you staying here. We're going to get answers some way," Crosshairs informed Hound.  
They watched Bulma take J.R. off the monitoring devices and the oxygen. Bulma got her to drink a bottle of the nutrition drink before Crosshairs sat on the bed and hugged her.  
I can't believe you tried to hurt yourself as you did to Jayce.  
J.R. stared at Jayce; Drift got up and knelt in front of J.R, "she'll be ok. It'll just take time."  
I'd love to tell you Jamie will also be ok, but I don't know anymore. Drift got up and walked out of the room. Bulma, Crosshairs, and Hound watched him leave, knowing he was upset. They didn't know that J.R. watched him leave until Crosshairs felt the tears on his hand.  
Shit, she watched him leave. She knows he's upset, not good.  
All Crosshairs could do as hug her tighter. J.R. tried not to cry, but she wasn't successful.  
Bulma walked out once J.R. started crying.  
She's hiding grim news. Hound thought.

Bulma walked by Drift and continued down the hall. Drift watched, wondering if she was going back to Cade's dimension or not.  
Why are you keeping secrets, Bulma? Won't matter if you don't tell us Jamie will die or not. We've been watching her for twenty-one days now, and she already flatlined twice.

Crosshairs had to get J.R. away before she woke up Jayce. He knew she was distraught since she didn't even fight him to stay in the room. Drift watched Crosshairs carry J.R. away. He hated how distraught she was and how he wasn't in a good mental state to help.

Crosshairs walks into a room down the hall. He slid down to the floor. J.R. stopped crying, but tears still rolled down her face.  
What's even going through your mind? Crosshairs didn't know what to say as he hugged J.R.  
They have to go back and be with Jamie. J.R. thought, but she also didn't want Crosshairs to go.  
"Go back to Cade's dimension," J.R. tried to say without starting to cry.  
Damn it. Crosshairs thought.  
"Let me help," Vegeta says as he walks in.  
"Get out!" Crosshairs yells in an angry tone. J.R. looked at the two, expecting them to start an argument. Vegeta is pissed at Crosshairs for telling him to get out, but he is concerned about J.R. and wondering why is she distraught?

Something is wrong. Vegeta thought as he walked down the hallway.  
He noticed Drift sitting on a chair in the hallway.  
"What's going on?" He asks Drift.  
"Bulma is hiding something," Drift gets up and walks down the hall.  
Not good. Vegeta runs to find Bulma.

"Need any help?" Drift asked as he walked into the room and sat next to Crosshairs.  
"Nothing you can do," Crosshairs sighed.  
They couldn't talk with J.R. with them and knew she'd end up falling asleep.

"So?" Cade asked as Bulma walked into the building.  
"J.R. woke up after Jayce fell asleep. J.R. became worried, but Crosshairs and Drift assured her Jayce would be ok."  
"There's a but isn't there?"  
"Yes, they know I'm not telling them about Jamie," Bulma sighed, "Drift is crushed, and J.R. knows something is wrong."  
"I told you to tell them. Now they think it's certain Jamie will die," Cade took his place beside Jamie while Buma resumed her work on her laptop.

J.R. fell asleep fifteen minutes later. Crosshairs carried her back to the room the girls are now staying in and laid her down on the bed; Drift followed him. Both were happy Jayce was still asleep.  
"Surprised you stayed here all this time," Drift said.  
"Someone had to stay here. You should know by now that if Jayce woke up and didn't see J.R., she'd be worried," Hound commented.  
"J.R. is thinking what we're thinking," Drift sighed, "she'll tell Jayce."  
"Damn it. Jayce doesn't need that right now. It's bad enough J.R. found out," Crosshairs added.  
"We need to go ask Bulma what's going on," Hound insisted.  
"I'm here," Vegeta says as he closes the door.  
"You?! Get out!!" Crosshairs yells, Ready to fight now that he didn't have to worry about J.R.  
"Easy Crosshairs, let him help. He's just going to watch Jayce and J.R., and we'll be quick," Drift says.  
"And if either of them wakes up?" Crosshairs asked in an angry tone.  
Hound wanted to go with Crosshairs and Drift, but he knew Crosshairs didn't trust Vegeta.  
"I'll stay, you two can tell me what Bulma says."  
"Fine," Crosshairs and Drift left the room. Vegeta moved a chair to a wall so he could see both girls.  
"You're also angry at me, aren't you?" Vegeta asked Hound.  
"You see what these girls are going through? What Jamie has been through the last fourteen years? How the hell they can even trust you and say you're a friend, I could never do that."

"Bulma, we need to talk," Crosshairs said as he and Drift entered the building.  
"Tell them," Cade insisted.  
"Shut up, Cade!" Bulma yelled.  
"No need to tell us anything..." Drift trailed off.  
"See, I told you, should have told them."  
Bulma walked up to Cade and slapped him. Crosshairs and Drift couldn't believe Bulma slapped him.  
"Pissed at me? You fucking let them think the worst by not telling them."  
"You don't get it, do you?"  
"Enough, what's going on, Bulma?" Drift asked.  
"We could be looking at another eight weeks of this before Jamie shows significant improvement," Bulma said in a sad tone, "she's barely stable."  
Drift said nothing; he walked up to the bed and sat on the chair.  
"This is why I didn't want to say anything. You all right?" Bulma whispered to Crosshairs.  
"I know why you didn't want to say anything, but it's better you did. Drift is just not liking how much longer the three girls will be dealing with this crap. I hate it too, but nothing you can do."  
"You didn't tell him about after Vegeta tried to kill Jamie or the record J.R. didn't fully read?"  
"No. I wasn't sure if you wanted me to."  
"Well... he's your friend. You know him better than I do. If you think it's a good idea, go ahead."  
Crosshairs nodded and joined Drift. Bulma watched, hating how she crushed them.  
"It was the right thing to do," Cade assured Bulma.  
"It would be great if I was wrong, and she'll recover in eight weeks or less. For now, the tests show it'll be eight weeks before she shows significant improvement."  
"And then?"  
"I don't know. I hope Jamie will be a little weak for a few weeks. I don't think Crosshairs, Drift, or the girls can take watching Jamie in and out of consciousness for a while. I'm afraid we're looking at both after Vegeta tried to kill her, and the record J.R. looked at rolled into one. This is the worst flare-up to date."  
"That fucking bastard and she'll most likely keep trying until she's successful. Should I tell Bee?"  
"If you want to."  
Cade walks away. He found Bumblebee sitting on a car and told him about Jamie. As Cade expected, Bumblebee hated hearing it.

Strange, they're not back yet. Didn't think they'd be an hour, not good. Hound was lost in thought until he heard J.R. Crap, if she was dreaming about Jamie, I don't think I can help her.  
She wasn't saying anything, but she had a scared expression and crying. Vegeta just watched,  
knowing most likely Hound would be mad if he tried to help.  
"Go," She said before Hound could say anything. Hound knew she wanted him to go back to Cade's dimension.  
"No, I'm not leaving you two here alone."  
"I'm here. I know you don't trust me, but something is wrong, and she wants you to find out," Vegeta said as he walked up to the bed; Hound hesitated.  
"You do anything to them; you're dead," Hound threatened before leaving. Vegeta sat on the bed. He didn't expect J.R. to fall onto him. He knew from watching Crosshairs how to get her to calm down. He wasn't much for hugging, but he hated how upset she was. It was easy to figure out why.

Shit. Hound thought as he walked into the building, seeing Crosshairs and Drift by Jamie.  
"What's going on?" Hound asked Bulma, whispering. Though it wasn't what everyone was thinking, Hound hated how much longer they'd be waiting for Jamie to improve.  
"They've been there since I told them an hour ago. I was expecting them to talk about whether they'd tell Jayce and J.R., but they've been silent."  
"I'm not even going to disturb them."  
Bulma opened a portal for him.  
This keeps getting worse. I should've known this could have happened. I should have continued trying to find ways to help Jamie fight severe flare-ups.  
"Hey. Bulma, don't tell me you're beating yourself over this again?" Cade asked.  
"You know I could have done more."  
"Maybe you could have, can't change that now. All you can do is help Jamie the best you can now and research if making drugs to help Jamie in the future is possible."  
"I'm going to check on Jayce and J.R. I don't think I'll be able to check on Jamie for a while. I hope nothing happened while they're around her."

J.R. calmed down fifteen minutes later, but she didn't want Vegeta to let go. Hound walks into the room but doesn't disturb them; Bulma walks in five minutes later.  
"I didn't know you left them with Vegeta."  
"I'm not leaving them alone here, and he insisted," Hound looked at J R., "you better tell her about Jamie. She's thinking like we were." He whispered.  
"I guess," Bulma sighed.  
"None of us like watching Jamie go through this and that she'll be going through this for longer than we'd like. You know it's better than leaving her to think it's certain Jamie will die. I know it's still likely, but we don't know," He continued to whisper.  
"I will wait until Crosshairs or Drift come back. She'll still be very upset, and they get her to calm down better than the rest of us. I hope they come back before Jayce wakes up."  
"What are we going to do to keep them safe?"  
"What more can we do? Just another challenge."  
Vegeta tried to get J.R. to lie down, but she fought him, Hound walks over.  
"Let me try," Hound knew Vegeta wanted to talk to Bulma. They get J.R. to let go. Vegeta gets up, and Hound sits on the bed. J.R. leans onto him.  
"It's ok," Hound assures her.  
Crosshairs and Drift better get back soon.

"What's going on with Jamie?" Vegeta asks. He and Bulma are in the hallway. "I assume that's why J.R. is upset."  
"J.R. thinks it's certain Jamie will die. Everyone besides Jayce is thinking this way. The only reason Jayce wasn't thinking that way is she was asleep," Bulma sighs, "tests show it'll be another eight weeks before she shows significant improvement."  
"Damn it," Vegeta walks away; Bulma goes back into the room.


	25. What Can We Do?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jayce is relieved J.R. woke up from after whatever caused her to become unconscious, but she hates how distraught J.R. is, and Bulma refuses to tell her why J.R. is distraught and why Crosshairs and Drift aren't in the room. Bulma returns to Cade's dimension and accidentally reveals Vegeta is with Hound watching Jayce, and J.R. Crosshairs decides to go back and let's Drift stay with Jamie. Crosshairs and Hound tell the two girls what Bulma told them, which answers their question, 'why didn't Drift come back with Crosshairs?' Later in the day, Crosshairs and Drift discover how distraught the two girls get when they're not with them, especially Jayce, but Drift is having a hard time away from Jamie even though he had to leave the junkyard. Drift discovers Jayce is dealing with more shit due to the concussion and needs to stay with her even though he wants to be with Jamie.

Jayce is relieved to see J.R. woke up when she wakes up but hates how upset J.R. is. Jayce knew the painkillers would wear off, but she had to comfort J.R. She got out of bed, expecting either Bulma or Hound to tell her not to.  
If you think you're all right. Hound watched Jayce get out of bed and walk to them.  
"It'll be ok," Jayce assured J.R. as she put a hand on her shoulder.  
"No, it's not," J.R. said in a sad tone, letting tears roll down her face as Jayce walks over to Bulma.  
"What's J.R. talking about?"  
Great, J.R. got her worried.  
"It's ok," Bulma lied.  
"No, it's not! Where are Crosshairs and Drift?" Jayce lets tears roll down her face, trying not to cry, but she's not successful.  
J.R. gets up, walks up to Jayce, and hugs her.  
Shit, not good. Hound thinks as he watches the girls. He walks up to Bulma.  
"You will have to get them; the girls need them now," Hound whispers.  
"Right," Bulma walks out of the room.  
"Come on, you need to lie down," J.R. insisted, not knowing what Jayce is dealing with because of the concussion. She got Jayce to sit on the bed, but Jayce refused to lie down.  
Well, at least you'll be able to if you need to.  
J.R. sat beside her and continued to hug her. She was trying not to cry herself.

"Back so soon?" Cade asks.  
"They're still with her? Damn it, I don't want to disturb them, but Jayce and J.R. need them."  
"Thought Hound and Vegeta are with them?"  
"He let that bastard near them?!" Crosshairs raged as he walks up to them.  
"It's fine, Crosshairs," Bulma assures Crosshairs, "they trust him."  
They looked at Drift.  
"Leave him alone; he's hurting. Hound can help."

Hound is leaning on the wall in the hallway.  
"J.R. is trying to get Jayce to calm down, but I can tell she's also trying not to cry herself."  
Crosshairs opens the door a little before he hears J.R.

"...We should leave them alone. They need to be with Jamie."  
"Yeah, you're right. I don't know if you'll be able to leave soon, but I'm not."  
"I'm staying here with you; you'll need me."

Crosshairs closes the door.  
"Shit. Bulma didn't tell them?"  
"She was leaving it up to you and Drift."  
"It's just going to remove the thought that Jamie will die and replace it with she could."  
"It's better than leaving them thinking it's certain Jamie will die."  
Crosshairs sighed as he opened the door, and they walked into the room. He was happy to see Jayce sit up without being dizzy, but he knew it was most likely because of the painkillers.

Crosshairs and Hound get the two chairs and sit facing the girls.  
"Listen to me, both of you. Jamie will not die."  
"You don't know that," Jayce says.  
"You're right, no one knows for sure yet, but Jamie is still fighting. Not even Bulma is giving up, and she knows more about this than the rest of us," Hound adds.  
"She must be doing terrible for Drift to not come here with Crosshairs," J.R. says.  
Crosshairs sighs, "Bulma thinks it'll be another eight weeks before Jamie shows any improvement. I don't know how she can figure that out, but you can guess how Drift took that information."  
"No," Jayce says in a sad tone. J.R. just lowers her head, so she's staring at her feet and the floor. They both hated how much more Drift was hurting and that Jamie still had a long road ahead. Neither Crosshairs nor Hound knew what to say.

Bulma watched Drift get up and walk towards the entrance. She was waiting for him to ask her to open a portal, but he just walked by her and out of the building. He walked to the back of the property so he could be alone.  
"He went back?" Cade asked as he walked in ten minutes later.  
"No, he's still around here. I think he's torn between staying here and going back to help Crosshairs. I'm sure J.R. will want to stay with Jayce."  
"Drift knows Crosshairs will be dealing with both of them having nightmares alone?"  
"Hound has wanted to help. Guess this is his chance, but it will be a challenge," Bulma walked up to Jamie to check on her, and Cade followed so he could sit by her when Bulma finished. He watched her draw several vials of blood and secretions she suctioned. Bulma said nothing when she finished, and Cade knew not to ask, though he was hoping Bulma's desire to collect samples didn't mean something was wrong.  
At least she's not getting worse, but I know it's possible. Come on, Jamie. He thought as he sat beside Jamie.  
"I'm going back to my dimension," Bulma told him.  
"All right."  
Cade didn't like being left to watch Jamie since she could go downhill further but, he knew Bulma knew the risk. She had to have sure Jamie would be ok to leave.

Bulma went to her lab when she got to her dimension to test the samples.  
I'm hoping the level of the chemical has gone down, and I have to make sure she's not getting infections in her lungs.

Jayce and J.R. wanted to go back and make sure Drift was doing ok. Crosshairs was sure Bulma would let J.R. go back, but like Drift, she'd tell Jayce she has to stay here. He was also certain the painkillers would wear off soon. After they couldn't convince Crosshairs to let them go back, they insisted he go back. Crosshairs didn't want to, but even Hound insisted he go back.

Crosshairs expected to find Drift by Jamie, but he couldn't find Drift anywhere.  
Shit. Did he take off? Crosshairs wondered.  
"He-left," Bumblebee said as he walked up to Crosshairs.  
"Crap."  
Crosshairs transformed and left the junkyard.  
He turned off his comm. I know he wants to be left alone, but it's unusual for him to leave. He's distraught about this. If he doesn't want any of us to find him, I doubt he's at the lake, but I hope he is. I have no idea where else he'd go without traveling far.

Crosshairs was right; Drift was at the lake.  
"If you didn't want to be found, then you should have gone somewhere else," Crosshairs joked.  
"I couldn't find anywhere where there are no humans without traveling too far."  
"This place has humans, and I think you just wanted to come here."  
Drift said nothing as Crosshairs sat next to him. He was hoping to get Drift to go back to Jayce and J.R. with him, but he wasn't sure if he would. He knew Drift is torn between staying here and going back to the girls since it's now impossible to be with the girls and Jamie.  
I don't want to go back without you. Jayce and J.R. want you too.

"I hope Drift is ok. I want him to come back, but he should stay with Jamie."  
"Yeah, same here." J.R. agreed.  
"Unbelievable, let's go find that bastard now," Jayce said as she got off the bed.  
"No, you two need to stay here. Do you know what Drift would say? That revenge solves nothing."  
"No, that bastard needs to pay now!" Jayce yelled and ran out of the room.  
"Shit, come on, J.R," the two went after Jayce, "I hope Bulma is back. The only way to open a portal is in her lab."  
Knowing Bulma, she took away Jayce's only other means to open a portal.

"Are you just going to sit here? What do you want?" Drift said in a sad tone.  
"The girls want you, but if you want to stay here..."  
Drift sighed, "I don't know. We need to keep Jayce and J.R. safe, and they feel a little better being with us but-."  
"I know. Hound can try to help, but he tried to with J.R. already and had a hard time. At least come back for a while. They want to see you."  
Drift agreed, and the two drove back to the junkyard.

Vegeta noticed Jayce running down the hallway, J.R. and Hound running after her. The fact that they were running after her showed him Jayce is aiming to do something, so he aimed to grab her and was successful.  
"Let me go!" Jayce yelled. Vegeta had a tight hold on her.  
"What's going on?" He asked Hound.  
"Let's go see if Bulma is back first," Hound insisted. Vegeta and Hound both grabbed one of Jayce's arms so she'd stay with them.  
Great, now Jayce is difficult. Hound thought as they walked to Bulma's lab.

"What's going on?" Bulma asked. Hound informed her and Vegeta.  
"You know that's not right and with your injury," Bulma told Jayce.  
"My injury? Do you see what that bastard did to Jamie? You see how it's affecting all of us?" Jayce raged. Bulma wasn't sure what to say. Just then, a portal opened. Crosshairs and Drift drove through it.  
Perfect timing. Bulma is happy Crosshairs and Drift came back.  
"What's going on?" Crosshairs asks as his holoform steps out of his vehicle mode. Bulma informed Crosshairs and Drift what's going on.  
"Come on, Jayce. You know you're Injured." Drift said as he walked up to her. Jayce repeated what she said to Bulma before falling onto him. Drift caught her and sat on his knees. He watched the tears roll down her face. Crosshairs had to keep J.R. From running towards Drift as he stood up and carried Jayce back to the room.  
"What happened?" J.R. asked, worried.  
"She'll be ok," Bulma assured J.R. Crosshairs takes J.R. back to the room, Hound follows them.  
"Those two are having a hard time with this, aren't they?" Vegeta asks.  
"They all are, but Jayce and J R. Have resorted to self-harm, and J.R. fought Jayce, which caused Jayce's concussion." Bulma walks away, not knowing if Vegeta is following her or not.

Drift knew Jayce wasn't doing good since she let him lay her on the bed. She kept a grip on his hand.  
"You're ok," He assured her. Drift was certain since Bulma isn't alarmed that this isn't serious. He sat in the chair by the bed. Hound sat in the other chair.  
Damn it. No way I can leave her even if Hound stays.  
Crosshairs and J.R. walk into the room. Crosshairs watched J.R. get upset from looking at Jayce and kept her from going near Jayce.  
"I can't believe I did this to her."  
He heard her mumble.  
"Come with me," he picked her up, knowing she'd put up a fight and left the room. He sat on the chair near the room and hugged J.R., "she'll be ok."  
Damn it; I'm tired of watching them hurt mentally. It would be great if we could do something more to help them and that they'd recover when Jamie does, but I know it's very unlikely.

Bulma noticed Crosshairs in the hallway, holding J.R.  
No surprise, she's distraught. Bulma walks into the room.

"Is she ok?" Drift asks her.  
"It's another effect of the concussion. Unfortunately, she feels she's spinning, or the room is spinning, which makes her feel dizzy."  
"Damn it, are you sure this isn't serious?" He watched Bulma try to get Jayce to sit up, but she didn't want to, the tears rolling down her face.  
"It's fine, but I think she'll be dealing with this for several weeks."  
"Damn it." Drift mumbled.  
Bulma knew Crosshairs and Drift hate how much longer Jamie and Jayce would be dealing with the crap they've been going through. Add they worried J.R. is trying to hurt herself after she hurt Jayce.  
I'm sorry, but there's not much I can do that I agree with.

She walked to the front of the room and leaned on the wall. Hound walked up to her.  
"You all right?" He asks her.|  
"Like everyone else, I hate the crap the three girls are going through, how much Crosshairs and Drift are hurting and the struggle they're having while helping Jayce and J.R. I know Drift wants to be with Jamie more, but Jayce wants him. If I could move Jamie, I wouldn't. Jayce would neglect herself and focus on Jamie, and Drift wouldn't want that. Only other thing I can do I refuse to do. "  
"We know you're doing all you can. I know you feel you could have done more, but that will not help now. You better go back. We can take care of Jayce and J.R."  
"All right," Bulma walks out of the room. She informed Crosshairs that she's going back.

He needs to go back. Jayce thought as she continued to feel like the room was spinning. She didn't want to move. Not much he can do here and until Jamie isn't critical.  
She let go of Drift's hand.  
"What's wrong?" He asked as he stood up.  
Jayce turned her head even though it made her feel the room was spinning. Drift saw how uncomfortable she was.  
"Go back to the junkyard."  
"I know you want me to, but no, I'm staying here."  
"Go back for awhile. I'm here, and so is Crosshairs," Hound jumped in.  
"No, he needs to go back with Drift."  
Drift and Hound looked at each other.  
She lost all hope. Drift thought.

They walked to the front of the room.  
"What do you want to do?" Hound asked as the door opened. Crosshairs and J.R. walk in.  
"You're leaving?" Crosshairs asks Drift.  
"Jayce wants me to, and Hound insists. Jayce wants us both to go but-."  
"Yes, both of you should go back." J.R. insists before sitting in the chair by Jayce's bed.  
"Go before either of them get difficult," Hound demands. Crosshairs and Drift give in and decide to leave.

"They want us to stay with Jamie until she gets better," Crosshairs says as they walk down the hall.  
"I know, but Jayce is too weak from the concussion. Bulma thinks it'll be several weeks before she feels better. After what she tried to do today, they're both getting difficult to help, and I think they just want us to give up on them."

Bulma found Cade sitting by Jamie. She could just read the monitor to make sure Jamie would be ok and return to her lab. The fear that Jamie could decline while she's gone made her want to stay for a while before checking on Jayce.  
Crosshairs and Drift return five minutes later.  
"Is everything ok?" Bulma asks.  
"Jayce and J.R. Insisted, we come back. Hound thinks he can handle the two of them," Drift explains though both Bulma and Cade had a feeling that Crosshairs and Drift would be here for hours. Cade moved out of their way. They kneel beside her. Drift held her hand, took Crosshairs' hand, and put it on Jamie's.  
"I don't think they'll be here for long," Cade whispered.  
"I don't think so either. Well, Hound trusts Vegeta enough to help him. I'll go back in a while."  
"You keeping J.R. there?"  
"No, she can come back if she wants to, but she doesn't."  
"So.. what are the results from the samples you took?"  
"Good news is Jamie isn't getting sick from being on the ventilator. The bad news is the level of the chemical in the blood isn't going down. Honestly, I'm getting concerned."  
"You said it yourself, Jamie has been through this crap for this long several times."  
"But she's never been this critical for this long," Bulma walks out of the building.  
Shit, don't tell me you're giving up on her? Cade thought as he watched Bulma walk away.

J.R. sat in the chair beside Jayce's bed in case Jayce needed anything. Jayce had her eyes closed. The headache was coming back; the lights are dim, but that only helps so much. J.R. hated seeing how uncomfortable Jayce was. She got up and left the room. Hound watched through the window on the door. J.R. leaned on the wall, slid down to the floor, but kept her knees up. She rested her arms on her knees and her head on her arms.  
She's not going anywhere, but damn she hates seeing Jayce like this. Hound sat in the chair. He noticed how uncomfortable Jayce is and hated how he couldn't do anything.

"I'm sorry, Jayce. I hate how you have to go through this crap." J.R. mumbled Before letting herself cry/ Two minutes pass before Vegeta walks over.  
"What's wrong?" He asked as he knelt.  
"Just go away," J.R. sobbed. Vegeta sat next to her, and side hugged her.

"Come on; we should go back."  
Crosshairs knew Drift is torn between staying with Jamie and going back to the girls.  
"Yeah, let's go."  
They both got up and walked out of the building.  
"I'll go back with you two," Bulma said as she got up. She informed Cade she was going back to her dimension.

Vegeta has been with J.R. for twenty minutes when he sees Crosshairs, Drift, and Bulma.  
"Get away from her!" Crosshairs snapped when he sees Vegeta was with J.R.  
"She needed someone, and that fat ass in there can't help both of the girls!" Vegeta snapped as he got up, standing right in front of Crosshairs. Both of them angry.  
Shit. Bulma thought as she watched.  
"Stop!" Drift said as he pushed Crosshairs back.  
J.R. got up and walked back into the room, and Crosshairs walked into the room after her. Vegeta walked away though he's furious at Crosshairs.  
"Come on," Drift motions for Bulma to go in the room with him.

"I'm surprised she's not asleep," Bulma says.  
Jayce turns her head to look at them. They noticed how uncomfortable she is.  
"The painkillers wore off. Help me get her to sit up," Bulma says.  
"No," Jayce cried.  
"Come on; this will help you," Bulma showed her the painkillers. Drift helped Jayce sit up. Jayce took the painkillers and, though she wanted Drift to hug her, Jayce had to lie down.  
"She feels awful."  
Drift walks out of the room.  
"Go after him," J.R. insists.  
Crosshairs walks out of the room and sits next to Drift.

"I want to be with Jamie but can't leave Jayce," Drift tells him.  
"I know we can't leave J.R. either. I don't think it will be possible to be with Jamie while they're here. Twice we left them today and came back to them in distress."  
"Even with Hound here. This team within the team isn't good if this is how they are during shit like this."  
"No, it's a good thing," Hound says as he closes the door.  
"It's not good when Jayce doesn't want to tell you she's uncomfortable," Drift tells Hound.  
"J.R. was with her too, and she said nothing, she's letting herself feel that way. Why would she do that? Can't be because of Jamie."  
By now, Bulma has joined them.  
"I doubt it," Bulma says, "Jamie is unaware and can't feel anything."  
"She still thinks she's a burden," Drift sighs, "damn it, how long before she tries to go back to her dimension even with her injury? I can't leave her."  
"If the painkillers allow her to sleep without being woken up by a nightmare, you can go back when she goes to sleep," Hound suggests,  
"Which reminds me, What are we doing about J.R.?" Crosshairs asks, "no way those two can sleep in the same room if she will end up having a nightmare? She will not leave Jayce either."  
"Unless she'll agree to sleep in another room, we must move her when she falls asleep."  
"Unbelievable," Crosshairs comments before walking away.  
"What's his problem?" Bulma asks.  
"He hates the crap the three girls are going through, how there's not much we can do to help them, and every time we think we figured out a way, crap happens," Drift explained, "I also hate it."  
"I don't think we can have a solid plan. All we can do is plan a little at a time," Hound suggests.  
"No, I'm just going to stay here." Drift tells them before walking back into the room.  
"Did he give up?" Bulma asks.  
"No, he's worried about Jayce and J.R. I think hearing how much longer all three of them will be dealing with this crap upsets both of them but not as much as not being told what's going on."  
"Right."  
Bulma walks down the hall. Hound goes back into the room as Drift opens a capsule, revealing the fridge Bulma made for both him and Crosshairs. He got J.R. to drink a nutrition drink, but Jayce didn't want to. He saw she is still feeling dizzy.  
Come on, Jayce. I'll try again in an hour.  
He sat on a chair by the bed. J.R. wanted to find Crosshairs but was still worried about Jayce.  
"Leave him for a while, come here."  
He had her sit on his lap so he could hug her.  
They're doing a little better here, but Jayce is on painkillers, and J.R. has been with Crosshairs or Vegeta and worried about Jayce. They're just distracted to think about Jamie.

Crosshairs stood on the balcony on the second floor. Unaware Vegeta is standing five feet behind him. Bulma was walking by when she saw Vegeta.  
Oh shit. Does he want to cause trouble? She stood in the doorway and watched.  
"Hey!" Vegeta yelled to get Crosshairs' attention.  
Idiot. Bulma thinks, expecting them to start a fight.  
Crosshairs turned around to face Vegeta.  
"What do you want?!" Crosshairs yelled.  
"You know what I did, but do you know I brought her back here so Bulma could help her?" Vegeta raged. There was silence for a minute. To Bulma, it felt like a long time. She was waiting for a physical altercation.  
"How do you think Jamie has Saiyan powers? It's my blood. I saved her from dying," Vegeta explained in a calm tone, "I don't know if you read those records or just how I tried to kill her. I'd do anything to take back what I did. Now Jadin has a weapon to use. She's trying to do what I didn't accomplish. I hate how upset Jayce and J.R. are. I'm sorry."  
Vegeta walked away. Buma moved out of the way. Crosshairs wasn't sure what to think.  
So he says he's sorry, but the damage is done, and Jamie is fighting for her life. Crosshairs thought.  
"You still don't trust him, do you?" Bulma asks.  
"No!"  
Crosshairs walked back to the girls, and Bulma headed back to her lab.

"You want to go back to the junkyard?" Drift asks J.R. after she says she wants to leave.  
"No, I want to get away from all this," J.R. let tears roll down her face.  
Damn, she can't take any more of this.  
Crosshairs walks into the room.  
"Crap, what happened?" He asks; Drift gives him a look telling him they must talk later.  
I see why you don't want to leave. I just left the room, and J.R. is distraught.  
Crosshairs knew Drift could handle J.R. He stood beside the bed, unaware Jayce is still awake until he touched her hand, and she moves it.  
"I thought you were asleep," Crosshairs said as he took her hand.  
"No," Jayce replied in a sad tone.  
Still uncomfortable. I hope you can eat soon.

Bulma comes by fifteen minutes later and tells them she's going back to Cade's dimension. Hound goes back with her.

As soon as they returned, Hound finds Bumblebee and tells him about Jayce, and J.R. Bumblebee hated how bad the two girls are and how he'd be no help.


	26. A Terrible Idea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> J.R. hates seeing how much Jayce is struggling and wants to go somewhere else. Crosshairs lets her return to Cade's dimension, but he picked a terrible time to let her return. Cade asks Bulma how Jamie dying works with her cross-dimensional travel, but J.R> took it as Cade doesn't care if Jamie dies. After dealing with the misunderstanding, Drift, and Jayce returns to the dimension. Crosshairs and Drift let the two girls see Jamie, which turned out to be a big mistake. They're able to take the girls back to Bulma's dimension but hate how distraught the girls are. A little time passes before they calm down. The two girls are alone in the room while Crosshairs and Drift talk to Bulma and Hound. They return to the room and see something is off with Jayce/ Bulma demands J.R. be taken out of the room, which terrifies J..R. Crosshairs and Hound take her out of the room as Bulma and Drift discover Jayce is dealing with something new. Bulma uses a sedative on her before taking her for further testing.

Drift waited until six P.M. to see if Jayce would eat. He, Crosshairs, and J R. are relieved she drank a nutrition drink. Jayce put a tight grip on him.  
I know you dislike how you feel when the painkillers wear off. I hope this won't last long. It's like you traded the nightmares for a persistent headache and dizziness to the point you don't want to move.  
J.R. got up and left the room. Crosshairs followed her. He knew she's going to Bulma's lab to open a portal but to where?  
Drift watched, knowing J.R. wanted to get away, he wondered where she would go though there are only two places she'd go: back to the junkyard or her dimension.

"Where do you think you will go?" Crosshairs asked when they got to the lab.  
"Away from here. I can't take seeing what Jayce is dealing with, and it's my fault."  
"And where are you going to go?"  
"Back to the junkyard...for now."  
Maybe back to the junkyard for a while is a good idea.  
"Fine, but I'm coming with you."

They returned to the junkyard to find Cade and Bulma talking.  
"... isn't it just death in a dimension?"  
Hearing that infuriated J.R.  
"You don't get it after all this time?!" She yelled as she ran up to Cade and slapped him. Crosshairs ran after her and grabbed her before she started fighting Cade. Bumblebee and Hound were nearby and heard her yelling. Crosshairs was having a hard time keeping a grip on J.R.  
"Take her, Hound!" Crosshairs yelled when he noticed Hound is using his Cybertronian form. Crosshairs was hoping Hound can keep a grip on J.R. as Hound takes her away.  
"I was just asking about how this all works," Cade said, rubbing where J.R. slapped him, realizing he's bleeding, "crap."  
"She got you good," Bulma walked over to the table and grabbed gauze from the box on the table, "here."  
"How freaking strong is she to do this with a slap?"  
"Consider yourself lucky that's all she did," Crosshairs fumed.  
"What the hell is she doing here anyway?" Cade asks.  
"She wanted to get away from Jayce. She hates how Jayce is but has no plan aside from staying away from Jayce."  
"She's getting more violent. She shouldn't be here."  
Bulma and Crosshairs knew why Cade thinks J.R. shouldn't be at the junkyard.  
"Well, now she thinks you think it's not a big deal Jamie might die," Crosshairs walks out of the building.  
Cade watches Bulma get a syringe.  
"Please tell me you're not using that again?"  
"I hope not, but I think I will have to. J.R. is beyond listening to anyone at this point."  
Cade goes with Bulma though J.R. is furious at him.

Crosshairs didn't think J.R. would be as calm as she is. Hound let her sit on the ground. Crosshairs knew J.R. would be crying.  
"What's going on?" Bumblebee asks.  
"Later, Bee," Crosshairs replied as he sat next to J.R. As Crosshairs expected, she moved onto his lap. He felt her tremble as he hugged her.  
"I'm surprised she's this calm," Bulma observed.  
"Cade, you think you should be here?" Crosshairs said in an angry tone.  
"Wait; what? What's going on?" Hound asks. Bulma explains what happened, "no wonder she's angry. The timing didn't help."  
"I was just trying to understand how this all works."  
"Now, though?" Hound asks in an angry tone, "maybe you deserved a slap."  
Hound and Bumblebee walk away.  
"I'm sorry, J.R. None of us want Jamie to die," Cade apologized before he and Bulma walk away.

'Well, you lucked out on drugging her."  
Crosshairs and J.R. walk into the building fifteen minutes later.  
"She wanted to see Jamie," Crosshairs told Bulma.  
"If you think that's a good idea."  
"Does it matter if she's kept away from Jamie or not? Though I doubt she'll be long."  
J.R. side hugged Crosshairs as she looked at Jamie. Crosshairs hoped she didn't read the monitor. Five minutes pass before Drift walks into the building with Jayce.  
"Sorry, Bulma, she wanted to come here. She'll be going back soon."  
"It's fine," Bulma watched as Drift brought Jayce near Jamie.  
"You sure this is a good idea?" Cade whispered.  
"It doesn't matter whether or not they stay away from Jamie. They're distraught and terrified either way."  
"True, but Jamie might go downhill. This might be a terrible idea."  
Cade is right, but Bulma didn't want to tell them to leave now. The girls just stared at Jamie.  
"Oh, crap. They read the monitor," Cade noticed the worried looks on the girls' faces, "another reason they should have stayed away."  
They both watched the girls hug Crosshairs and Drift. The two mechs looked at each other and got up. They took the girls out of the building.  
"Neither of them put up a fight to stay, which is strange," Cade said as he and Bulma watched Crosshairs and Drift take the girls to the back of the property.  
"They know how critical Jamie is, shit. I don't think any of us thought they'd read the monitor."  
"You sure they didn't know before?"  
"They knew about the fever, but it wasn't this high. Shit, I forgot they don't know Jamie has a slow heart rate again. I would have told Crosshairs and Drift to keep them away."  
"No, they would have figured out Jamie isn't doing good."

"Did you sense Jamie's energy?" J.R. asks  
"Yeah, it's still low. Not good," Jayce replies. They both let tears roll down their faces as Crosshairs and Drift hugged them. The girls ended up crying.  
"This was a terrible idea," Crosshairs said  
"Avoiding Jamie or seeing her upsets them, plus they've been distracted."  
"Let's go back," Crosshairs suggested. They expected the girls to fight them, but they didn't. They found Hound waiting at the entrance to the building. By now, the girls stopped crying, but tears still rolled down their faces.  
"Going back? I'm coming too," Hound told them.  
Bumblebee watched them leave.  
"You can go with them, Bee," Cade told him.  
"Not much - I can do."  
That's what Hound thinks, but he's trying to help. Cade walks back into the building to sit by Jamie.

Crosshairs and Drift brought the girls back to the room. Jayce and J.R. didn't want to lie in bed. They just say on the floor, hugging each other.  
"They're terrified Jamie may die. I think they think she will. This was a colossal mistake," Crosshairs observed.  
"I doubt they will sleep tonight," Drift guessed.  
"Unbelievable, and this won't be ending soon," Hound sighed.  
"It's already been a long day. These days seem to get longer," Crosshairs sighed, "I hope Bulma is way off, and it'll be a couple more weeks at most."  
"I don't think these two can take even that," Drift watched how upset Jayce and J.R. are.

"I'm going back," Bulma said as she prepared a syringe; she still had one from earlier.  
"Please tell me you're not using that on both of them?"  
"I think I will have to at least for tonight. They're frightened, no way they'll be going to sleep."  
Cade watched Bulma leave.  
Fuck. I can't believe we have to resort to these measures. Come on, Jamie. I hope this won't last eight more weeks, but this isn't looking good.

Crosshairs, Drift, and Hound stood in the hallway. They knew there was no way to plan how they can help the girls. They were giving the girls space.  
"Are they asleep?" Bulma asks.  
"No. I don't think they'll be sleeping tonight.," Drift replies.  
"Well, I can use these."  
Bulma shows them the syringes.  
Crosshairs looks at the syringes, "I can't believe we have to resort to drugs,"  
"We can see if they'll go to sleep without the drug, but if not, we will have to use them," Drift suggested. Crosshairs knew Drift would rather they not use sedation on the girls.

Not good. J.R. noticed something was off with Jayce. Don't tell me the painkillers wore off already.  
"Come on; you need to lie down."  
"I'm fine."  
Dang it, how the fuck are you going to recover if you will ignore you need rest?  
The others walk into the room. Drift noticed Jayce is not doing well.  
"Jayce?" Drift said as he knelt beside her. Bulma noticed Jayce is about to vomit and got the trash bin before she did.  
"Get J.R. out of here, now!" She demanded.  
"No!" J.R. cried and put up a fight, leading both Crosshairs and Hound to carry her out of the room.  
Not good. Bulma watched Jayce lose consciousness and felt how stiff she was before Jayce's arms and legs started convulsing. Either she's getting hit with serious symptoms, or she has a serious injury.  
Drift watched, frightened.  
Jayce came out of it a minute later, frightened. Saying nothing, Bulma injected Jayce with the sedative she had.  
"Did you just..."  
"doubt she would calm down without it. Put her on the bed. I need to run some tests," Bulma watched Drift put Jayce on the bed, "go see if Crosshairs needs help. This will be a while."  
Drift looked at Jayce before walking away out of the room.

Crosshairs was having a hard time getting J.R. to calm down.  
Damn it; she's terrified.  
Drift hated seeing J.R. was bawling when he walked into the room.  
"Shit." Drift mumbled. He walked over to Crosshairs.  
"Let me try to get her to calm down," Drift insisted.  
"She's not going to at least until she knows Jayce is ok."  
"You want me to go get the sedation injection Bulma has?"  
"We will have to."

Drift found Bulma in the same room as two days ago. There was a man with her, but not Vegeta. Drift could only guess he was helping Bulma, hoping it wasn't a sign Jayce is more injured than Bulma thought. Bulma walks out a minute later.  
"J.R. isn't calming down?" Bulma asks as she closed the door.  
"No, as much as we'd rather not, she will need to be calmed by drugs."  
"I'll go take care of her."  
Drift just watched Jayce, asleep from the sedation drug, getting her head scanned again.

Crosshairs watched J.R. calm down after being injected. Bulma told him to take her back to the room.  
"I'll take her back," Hound insisted. Crosshairs knew Hound wanted him to find Drift. He and Bulma walked back to the exam room.

Crosshairs saw how concerned Drift was when they got close to the room. He saw what kind of test Jayce was going through as Bulma walked back into the room. They watched for five minutes before deciding to go back to J.R.

Hound watched them walk into the room and sit on the chairs, facing J.R.  
Shit. Either they just hate what's been going on the past forty-five minutes, or Jayce is more injured than Bulma thought. I know they hate how drugs had to be used to get J.R. to calm down.

Bulma comes in fifteen minutes later.  
"Well, the good news is she doesn't have more serious injuries," she stopped, unsure how to explain what happened, "seizures are possible with concussions. Between the concussion and feeling frightened, she triggered what's called a Pseudoseizure."  
"Shit. They're both going to be frightened most likely until this shit ends," Hound stated.  
"I'll go get Jayce," Bulma says as she walks out of the room. Saying nothing, Drift and Crosshairs leave the room soon after Bulma.  
"What are we going to do?" Crosshairs asks.  
Drift sighed, "we will have to resort to sedating her. Unbelievable, how much more do they have to suffer?"  
"They'll be asleep for a while, perhaps the entire night, go back with Bulma and be with Jamie," Crosshairs suggested.  
"All right."

When Jayce was brought back to the room, all three mechs were relieved the girls were sleeping but hated how drugs were used. Everyone hated how Jayce needs sedation.  
"... won't be like they are now. It depends on how she responds. She may sleep a lot, or she'll be relaxed. Either is good for her with the concussion."  
"How will you deal with J.R.?" Hound asked, "she will not like this."  
"She'll understand this will help Jayce with her recovery," Crosshairs assured him.  
"I better go back," Bulma walks out of the room, Drift follows her.  
They'll be ok, Drift, and I know you want to be with Jamie. Crosshairs watches them leave.

It surprised Cade to see Drift came back. Drift stood by the table and watched Bulma check on Jamie.  
Come on, Jamie, show us you're fighting this.  
Drift didn't ask about Jamie when Bulma was finished. He read the monitor before taking his place by Jamie while Bulma recorded her notes on her laptop.  
"What took you so long?" Cade whispered.  
"Jayce and J.R. after they read the monitor. With Jayce's concussion, she triggered a pseudoseizure, which frightened J.R. I had to use a syringe on both of them, and we will sedate Jayce for at least a day."  
"Shit. Please tell me Jamie is showing signs of improving now?"  
"No," Bulma said in a sad tone. Cade was getting concerned Bulma is giving up.  
If she's giving up, then this isn't good. Cade thought as he walked to his trailer.

"Why don't you go back? They won't be waking up for hours, and Vegeta seems to come  
around," Hound suggested.  
"Maybe later. Drift hasn't been able to be with Jamie as much as he'd like," Crosshairs moved a chair to the front of the room and sat down.  
Or are you trying to avoid Jamie? Hound wondered before moving his chair next to Crosshairs and sitting down. Vegeta came by ten minutes later.  
"Are they all right?" He asks. It surprised Hound Crosshairs told Vegeta what's going on instead of yelling at him to get out. Vegeta looked at the girls before leaving the room.  
Damn it. I just hope the girls never go through this shit again, but Jadin will try again.


	27. How Long Can She Keep This Up?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crosshairs and Drift spend time sitting by Jamie, terrified she could flatline again. By midnight, they leave the building but stay in the junkyard, eventually falling asleep. By morning, Drift decides he had enough seeing his girl in critical condition and returns to Bulma'a dimension. Crosshairs and Bulma also go to her dimension. Bulma works on what they decided to do to help Jayce though she's not thrilled Drift is avoiding everyone. Later Bulma and Cade talk about the three girls, Bulma expressing her concern that Jamie can't fight the flare-up this time, and Cade worries she's giving up.

Bulma worked on the plan for Jayce while Drift sat by Jamie for the past hour.  
Come on; I can’t take this anymore. None of us can. Drift read the monitor, which worried him even more. Please, don’t let her flatlined on us again.  
The fear Jamie could flatline, and Bulma and Cade can’t revive her terrified him. Bulma didn’t seem worried but, that didn’t help Drift not feel terrified. By now, he knows how fast things can go downhill.  
Crosshairs decided it was time to join Drift. Hound insisted they stay with her all night since Jayce and J.R. won’t be waking up in the middle of the night. This suggestion worried Crosshairs a little; is Hound losing Hope?   
“What are you working on?” Crosshairs asked Bulma when he noticed her working on something with medical supplies.  
“Working on the plan for Jayce. It’s not as simple as what I did tonight.”  
Crosshairs sat next to Drift but said nothing. Cade walks into the building five minutes later.  
“I’m surprised they’re both back.”  
“Most likely, Jayce and J.R. won’t be waking up in the middle of the night, but if they do, Hound is there, and Vegeta can help.”  
“Crosshairs trusts Vegeta enough to leave?”  
“Maybe or the need to be with Jamie is making him trust Vegeta.”

“You’re leaving the girls with Vegeta?” Drift asks.  
“They’ll be asleep all night.”  
They both looked at Jamie, hoping not to end up watching her flatline again and that she wouldn’t.  
By eleven, Crosshairs and Drift realized they might be keeping Bulma from going to sleep.  
“Bulma, if we need to leave, then tell is. It’s fine," Drift told her.  
“It’s fine, Drift. I know you two are quiet. I’m almost done.”  
“All right,” Drift said before turning to Crosshairs, “I hope she will not be up all night,” he whispers.

Bulma finished what needed to be done and headed to the other side of the building. Crosshairs and Drift were surprised to see that she had a sleeping bag like Jayce and J.R. used at the beginning of this nightmare. They learned enough about capsules to know she could have brought something more comfortable.  
By midnight the two were debating on going back. They decided that they’d need to stay in Bulma’s dimension tomorrow, so they might as well stay with Jamie. Both stared at Jamie, hoping she’d start improving sooner than Bulma thinks and wouldn’t flatline again. They stayed with her, but the fear that this could be their last time also influenced their decision.  
They’re still here. Guess Crosshairs and Drift will be here all night. Cade thought, looking at Crosshairs and Drift from the building entrance before going to his trailer.

Drift decided had to walk away for a while. Crosshairs watched Drift walk out of the building.  
Damn it, he went from ending up falling asleep while sitting by Jamie to being terrified to stay for long and walking away distraught.  
He held Jamie’s hand.  
Come on, Jamie, fight this.

Drift sat on the roof of a storage building, looking at the stars. Crosshairs joined him fifteen minutes later. Neither of them said anything. They looked at the night sky for a while before ending up falling asleep.

The sun woke them at 5:30 A.M., but they were afraid to see Jamie, yet they also wanted to see her. Bulma wasn’t awake, yet so they sat on rusted cars. They wanted to wait for Bulma before going back to Jayce and J.R.  
“She’s not doing good. Those numbers are slowly dropping except for the body temperature, not good that it’s going up,” Crosshairs says.   
Drift was lost in thought to say anything.  
What are you thinking, Drift? Crosshairs wondered. Drift decided he had to go back to Jayce and J.R. fifteen minutes later. Though they’d most likely still be asleep, he couldn’t stay here any longer. Crosshairs watched him leave, not knowing Bumblebee was behind him.  
Damn it. Crosshairs was about to go into the building when he noticed Bumblebee.  
“He’s terrified, Bee.”  
“And-you?”  
“Yeah, I am, all right let me put it to you this way, I’m afraid, but he and the girls are frightened. What we read on the monitor last night wasn’t good. We’re all afraid Jamie will flatline again.” 

Bumblebee activated his holoform and walked into the building with Crosshairs. He frowned at what he read.  
“See? Though I’m not sure if he should have went back to the girls. If they can tell he’s frightened, they’ll become more frightened, which is not good for Jayce. I hope he will not avoid seeing Jamie now, either.”  
Bumblebee nodded in agreement and left Crosshairs alone.

“Where’s Drift?” Bulma asked when she noticed Drift wasn’t with Crosshairs.  
“He left an hour ago. He’s frightened by the numbers on the monitor.”  
So they were both distracted by the girls to read the monitor last night? Good thing too, if Drift is this frightened.  
She said nothing to Crosshairs as she cared for Jamie and recorded notes. Bulma continued working on things for Jayce. She had to wait for Cade before leaving. Crosshairs stood by Jamie. He worried she’d flatline again and that Drift will avoid seeing her. He had to walk away ten minutes later and waited for Bulma by the pile of cars.  
Cade came in fifteen minutes later. Bulma was now on her laptop. Cade was surprised Drift left until he read the monitor.  
Shit. I see why Drift left. Amazing Crosshairs stayed.  
“Are you sure it’s a good idea for you to leave?” He asked Bulma.  
“No, but if I don’t go this, Jayce could cause her injury to become more serious. I’ll be quick though I wanted to find Drift.”  
She gathered what she needed and walked out of the building.

Crosshairs didn’t like that Drift wasn’t in the room. Jayce and J.R. were still asleep. Bulma got to work as Crosshairs and Hound watched.  
“Have you seen Drift?” Crosshairs asked.  
“No, he didn’t stay with Jamie all night?”  
“No, we didn’t. Jamie isn’t doing well again.”  
“Shit.”  
They both hated how Jayce was put on a monitor. They knew Bulma knew what she was doing.  
“It’s just standard procedure,” she assured them. “Just for today.”  
“I doubt it if they’re that frightened.” Hound commented. “And J.R....”  
“No, Hound, this is only being done because of Jayce’s injury. I’m hoping for a day or two at most. I have to go back now,” Bulma walked out of the room.  
“J.R. will not like this.”  
“Nope,” Crosshairs sighed and sat on the chair by J.R.  
Damn it, Drift, where the hell are you?  
Hound wasn’t sure if he should stay or go back to Cade’s dimension. It was a choice between watching Jayce and J R. struggle or Jamie.

“Back so soon?”  
“I told you I’d be quick. I’ll be going back in a couple of hours. Bad enough, J.R. won’t like seeing Jayce sedated. If I bring Jayce here, J.R. will come, and neither of them should see Jamie after last night.”  
“And if Jamie’s energy is low. Are you sure you can go between dimensions several times today? I don’t want you to overwork yourself.”  
“I have to,” Bulma returned to her work on her laptop. Cade walked out of the building.  
Not much I can do to help. Someone has to be here with Jamie, and if she flatlines, we both need to be here.

Two Hours pass before J.R. wakes up.  
Shit. Crosshairs watches J.R. look at Jayce and sees the scared look on her face. She got out of bed and walked up to Jayce’s. She hated seeing Jayce on a monitor and infusion pump. She ran out of the room.   
“Crap,” Crosshairs and Hound ran after her.  
“Get back here!” Crosshairs yells.  
Drift was walking down the same hallway when he saw J.R. and ran towards her to stop her.   
“Stop,” Drift says while holding both of J.R.’s wrists. She let tears roll down her face.  
Crosshairs and Hound are now standing behind J.R.  
How do I explain this without scaring her?  
“Jayce is ok. This is to help her recover from the concussion.”   
It wasn’t a lie, Drift just left out a detail, but instead of fear, J R. felt guilty.  
Shit. I did this to her.  
“Come on, you need to eat,” Crosshairs insisted. The two of them walk down the hall.   
“That went well,” Hound says sarcastically.  
“No, Hound, she feels guilty more than upset.” 

Drift headed back to the room. Hound followed him but didn’t enter the room with him. Drift looked at Jayce, hooked up to a monitor, and asleep because of the drugs.  
Damn it. Even if it’s good for her, I hate this.  
He looked at all the cuts she ended up with the past few days, worried she’d give herself more and that J.R. would resort to self-harm. After watching Jayce go through the effects of the concussion for a day, Drift was sure she wouldn’t fight Jayce again.  
Hound watched Drift walk away five minutes later.  
I know, I hate how we had to do this even if it’s good for Jayce, even if it’s just for a day or two, we don’t need two girls down.  
Drift peeked in the room Crosshairs and J.R. are in. J.R. was leaning on Crosshairs, and Crosshairs had an arm around her.  
I hope she at least drank some if the nutrition drink Bulma made Drift walks away.  
“Bulma, I was thinking, could J.R. end up having a seizure like Jayce?” Cade was standing to Bulma, who was still on her laptop.  
“Hard to say for sure, but I feel it’s likely. J.R. is frightened like Jayce though Jayce has the concussion as an added factor of what caused hers.”  
“They just keep on dealing with more shit.”  
He sat beside Jamie. Bulma stood beside him.  
“I never answered your question.“  
“What quest...,” Cade started before realizing what she was talking about. He looked at the monitor, “you... you’re giving up?” He asked, worried.  
“I don’t know. How much longer can Jamie’s body fight? How long before Jayce or J.R. go too far? Jamie’s a fighter. How else did she survive several severe flare-ups? But this is the worst, and, if I let her continue, it’ll be the longest she’s been in a coma. She’s been lucky to have no effects from being in a coma for a lengthy period, but what if she isn’t this time? And-.”   
“Bulma, stop. I know, Cade walked away.  
Not good. I don’t know if I’d give up on Jamie yet, but something tells me Bulma is.

Cade watched Bulma return to her dimension five minutes later. He returned to the building, worried she turned off the ventilator.  
Oh good, she didn’t. I can’t believe I’m even worried about this.


	28. Difficult Discussion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drift is having a hard time and avoiding everyone. Jayce is on drugs to keep her calm, which everyone doesn't like even if it's for her own good. J.R. doesn't want to do anything but sit with Crosshairs and Bulma isn't sure if they should let Jamie continue fighting the flareup. To make today more challenging, Bulma lets Vegeta see Jamie, which pisses Cade off. Vegeta finds out Jamie flatlined twice and hates how bad Jamie is doing. Cade thinks Vegeta doesn't care since Jamie will only die in Cade's dimension. Later J.R. overhears Drift, sounds like he's giving up even though he loves Jamie which upsets J.R. though see;'s thinking maybe it's better this way if everyone in a dimension forgets about Jamie and other friends. Jamie will forget about her love for Drift.

Bulma walks into the room and sees Hound sitting by Jayce's bed.  
"I thought she'd be awake?" He asked worriedly.  
"She should be, but there is a chance she'd end up sleeping," Bulma was concerned and wanted to make sure she wasn't wrong, "she is sleeping. I'm lowering the dose of the  
drug," she lowered the dose, "where's Drift?"  
"I have no idea."  
"Damn it. I can't stay here, but Jayce might be difficult if I lowered the dose too much."  
"Go, I'll be here."  
"All right."  
Hound watched Bulma walk out of the room.  
Drift better get back here. I think even if Jayce is relaxed, she'll want him.

I want her to do something besides sitting here, but what? Crosshairs wondered. Drift walked into the room and sat next to Crosshairs.  
"Is she ok?" Drift asked.  
"As ok as she can be with all this crap. At least she drank a bottle of the nutrition drink. I just wish I can get her to do something."  
Hopefully, I can get away from her so we can talk.

Good, Hound thought as he watched Jayce wake up. He could tell the drugs made it hard to stay awake. He explained to her mostly what's going on. He left out the seizure part and said it's to help her recover from the concussion. He knew she'd ask where Drift is.  
Crap. I don't want to leave her alone to find him, nor can she get out of bed.

"You should go see if Jayce is awake yet," Crosshairs whispered, hoping J.R. wouldn't hear him, "even though she's drugged, she'll want you. J.R. isn't going anywhere. I'm surprised she hasn't fallen asleep yet."  
Drift got up and walked out of the room.  
If he's avoiding Jayce because of what we had to do, I'm thinking will avoid Jamie. Crosshairs worried.

It relieved Drift that Jayce was awake.  
"Hey, is she ok?"  
"She woke up five minutes ago. Bulma had to lower the dose, but I don't think that's what got her to wake up. She looks like she's going to fall asleep soon."  
Drift stood by the bed and touched Jayce's hand. She looked at him. Drift noticed how she was having a hard time staying awake. He moved a chair close to the bed, sat, and held Jayce's hand.  
I know you want me to hold you, but I don't think I can while you're on a monitor. I hope it's just for a day, but I don't think so. No way you and J.R. will be frightened just for a day. More like until this is over.

By now, Hound left the room. He peeked into the room Crosshairs and J.R. are in.  
Damn it. They're all not doing good. It's time I go back and see Jamie.

It surprised Hound not to find Bulma or Cade in the building. He was a little concerned but assumed they were taking a break, but when he read the monitor, he became very concerned that neither of them are around.  
Shit, this is why Drift is so upset today. I doubt Crosshairs is far from being very upset. I'm surprised he's not since he was here last night with Drift.  
"When did you get here?" Cade asked.  
"Fifteen minutes ago. I see why Drift has been so upset today."  
"Bulma too," Cade sighed.  
"What's the problem?*  
"I think Bulma's giving up. She has valid concerns, but I wouldn't give up."  
"You didn't have to watch Jamie go through this several times before. Though I don't think I'd give up yet either. Jamie's a fighter."  
"You skipped what I told you, Cade. I didn't even finish."  
Bulma explained to Cade and Hound what might happen if she let Jamie fight longer.  
"..and every time she shows any improvement, it's erased."  
Cade and Hound couldn't believe Bulma had tears rolling down her face.  
Shit, if she's lost hope. Did she lie about her tests showing it'll be eight weeks before Jamie shows signs of improving?  
"Bulma, go see if Jayce woke up yet," Cade suggested. Cade and Hound watched her go back to her dimension.  
"Shit, I don't think I can leave her alone with Jamie now if she's considering pulling the plug," Cade looked at Jamie and thought about how frightened Jayce and J.R. got last night, "or the girls, fuck."  
"Then Bulma lied about whatever test she did, showing it'll be eight weeks before Jamie shows signs of improvement?"  
"I don't know. I wouldn't ask her. Don't ask her about Jamie. We've learned how the monitor can tell us how Jamie's doing through the blood test results provide important details."  
"I just hope she will not refuse to tell us anything or isn't giving up."  
"Come on, Jamie. Show us you're fighting this," Cade held her hand.

Bulma peeked into the room Crosshairs and J.R. are in. The two were sleeping. She then went to the room Jayce was in. She expected Drift to be with Jayce, but she didn't think he'd be doing what he does when he's with Jamie, holding Jayce's hand and sleeping. She wasn't sure if Jayce would be sleeping, but she wasn't too alarmed by it. Jayce's vitals were stable. She's bothered by how Crosshairs and Drift were sleeping.  
Damn it. I've never seen them sleep around the girls. Strangely, they let themselves now. Bulma goes back to Cade's dimension.

"What's wrong?" Hound asked, seeing how distraught Bulma is.  
"I just find it strange that Crosshairs and Drift are sleeping now. Jayce told me they haven't since the first time Jamie flatlined."  
Shit, I hope they're not giving up on Jamie too.  
Hound sighed, "they didn't stay with Jamie all night either. Crosshairs told me Drift returned to your dimension early morning. He's been avoiding everyone besides running into J.R. in the hallway. He finally came to sit by Jayce twenty minutes ago. He's never fallen asleep that fast. Crosshairs seemed to want to keep an eye on J.R., so I'm even surprised he fell asleep. They could use it, but it is strange they're letting themselves fall asleep with the girls now."  
"Or they lost hope, and the girls are frightened and lost hope, fuck," Cade thought out loud.  
"I just don't know. We're risking Jamie waking up with severe damage. We're past comparing records at this point."  
"So...if she flat lines again? Cade asked since he'd need to know if Bulma decided he shouldn't try to resuscitate her.  
"I...I don't know."  
"You don't want to give up on her, do you?" Hound asked.  
"No." Tears rolled down her face. Cade hugged her. It takes a few minutes, but he gets her to take a break.  
"Well, I'll ask her later. I will not decide, and she doesn't agree."  
"Is there a way she could detect any damage now?"  
"I'll ask her later."

I'm not surprised she's sleeping. Crosshairs picked up J.R. and brought her into the room Jayce is in. He laid her on the other bed.  
Damn it; you're upset today. Crosshairs thought, looking at Drift. He just moved the other chair by J.R.'s bed and sat down.  
Did you give up, Drift? I don't know how much more Jamie's body can take, but I'm not giving up on her. I know you're terrified you'll lose the one you love.

When did they come in? Drift wonders, seeing Crosshairs and J.R. Strange Crosshairs is sleeping now even though J.R. is asleep. We have slept very little during this situation.  
Bulma walks in five minutes later and sees how upset Drift is.

"How long are you going to keep her sedated?" Drift asks.  
"She shouldn't be. There's no need to sedate people who have a concussion, but if she's frightened enough to trigger a seizure, then this is a good thing to do for her, "she sighed, "it's complicated."  
"Stop the drugs for now. Give me a syringe in case she gets too frightened."  
"All right. It might be an hour before the drugs slowly wear off. I'll come back then."  
She stopped the infusion pump before leaving the room.  
Vegeta was waiting for Bulma in the hallway.  
"Let me come with you," he insisted.  
"Fine."

"Why'd you bring him here?" Hound asked.  
"He wanted to see Jamie."  
"You're letting the bastard near her?" Cade asked in an angry tone,  
"Stop, Cade. You don't know his relationship with Jamie beyond what he did, do you?"  
"I do, but look at what Jamie is going through. She flatlined twice because of what that bastard did and what he did! She's lucky to have been revived twice."  
What?! Vegeta couldn't believe what Cade said. He walked up to Jamie and read the monitor. I knew she wasn't doing good, but I didn't know she's this bad, and now I find out she flatlined twice.  
"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked Bulma.  
"Why do you care anyway?" Cade asked, "she dies, we lose her, not you and Bulma."  
Cade leaves the building.  
"I'm sorry, I hate how Jamie's going through this, and everyone is hurting because of this," Vegeta says, but only Hound and Bulma hear him. He sits by Jamie.

J.R. woke up a half-hour later. It surprised her to see Crosshairs sleeping.  
She just laid in bed and stared at Jayce; happy Drift is by her.  
She's still drugged. Damn it.  
J.R. rolled over, so she wasn't looking at Jayce, trying not to cry since she knew she couldn't cry quietly. She heard the door open and close.  
Crosshairs woke up soon afterward but assumed J.R. was still asleep.  
He left, damn it. He was worried about Jayce two days ago and didn't want to leave her alone; now, he wants to avoid everyone.

Bulma and Hound walked into the room five minutes later.  
"She should be awake soon. I stopped the infusion pump. Drift wanted me to, but the fact he left again..shit."  
"I'm here, J.R. is still asleep, and you know Hound will stay here if he needs to."  
Hound nodded in agreement.  
"Do you know why Drift is avoiding everyone today?" Bulma walks Crosshairs.  
"I think he gave up. He can't take seeing Jamie the way she is. I know he's terrified like the rest of us," Crosshairs said in a sad tone.  
No, Drift gave up. Then Jamie is doing badly. J.R. let tears roll down her face while biting her tongue, trying not to make a sound.  
"Shit, I...," Bulma trailed off. She sat by Jayce, watching to make sure she comes out of being sedated ok.  
I can't believe he's giving up. I could tell he has a closer relationship with Jamie than Crosshairs though I wasn't sure if they were together. Bulma let tears roll down her face.  
"Bulma, I can watch her," Crosshairs suggested. They knew if the girls saw any of them crying, they'd be frightened.

Bulma leaves the room and leans on the wall.  
Hound joined Bulma; maybe he could comfort her.  
"You ok?" He asked.  
"I can't believe Drift gave up, and the girls did days ago. How long before Crosshairs does? I know I said I was thinking of letting Jamie go, but I don't think I can. I can't-."  
"No, Bulma, I don't think Drift gave up to the point he thinks we should let Jamie go. He can't take seeing her the way she is not can Crosshairs. Though he's not avoiding everyone yet."  
"I see why Jayce refused to tell them anything about Jamie. I doubt she could have kept it up, but maybe I should have done the same for as long as possible."  
"No, they wanted to know how she's doing. They sat by her and read the monitor. They could have stayed away like they did the first week."  
"And they probably will now."  
Hound goes back into the room.

Something is wrong for Drift not to be here, but then again, wouldn't Crosshairs be with him? Jayce wondered.  
"It's ok; I'm here," Crosshairs tried to assure her.  
She's not liking that Drift isn't here and starting to worry already.  
All he could do was hold her hand until Bulma decided she didn't need to monitor her vitals. J.R. was happy to hear that Jayce is awake but still didn't want to look at her.  
"It's odd she hasn't asked for Drift. She did that this morning," Hound whispered.  
"Which most likely means she's already worrying and probably thinks he's with Jamie. This might not last long."  
"You want to go find him?"  
"No, leave him alone."  
There was silence for a few minutes before Bulma returned to the room. She waited five more minutes before taking Jayce of the vitals monitor. Crosshairs knew what she wanted, sat on the bed, moved her into his lap, and hugged her tightly, hoping to keep her calm.  
What can I even tell her? And J.R. will worry when she notices that Drift has been staying away.  
"Here, for J.R. Just in case while I'm gone. Jayce will still feel the sedation drugs' effects at least for tonight," she gave Crosshairs a syringe.  
Bulma left the room as Hound sat beside J.R.'s bed, but he faced Jayce's.  
"He gave up, didn't he?" Jayce mumbled.  
Neither Crosshairs nor Hound knew what to say. They watched the tears roll down her face, unaware J.R. was watching until she got off the bed, walked up to Jayce's, sat next to her, and put a hand on her shoulder.  
The only reason she's not more upset is that the drugs are still in her system.  
J.R. had to leave the room fifteen minutes later. Hound followed her. She sat on the floor by the door and let herself cry. Hound sat next to her and hugged her.

"I can't believe Drift gave up," she wept, "and Jayce is already worrying if drugs weren't in her system, she'd be very upset already."  
"Like you."  
"I...I... just leave me alone."  
J.R. broke free from Hound and ran off. Hound didn't go after her. Instead, he went back into the room.  
"Where'd she go?" Crosshairs asks.  
"She'll be ok."  
She will probably find Drift.

Drift has been standing on the second-floor balcony, staring at the city around him and the sky. He was trying not to think about Jamie, but it was impossible.  
"I can't see her the way she is anymore. I don't want to lose her, but she's not getting any better," he thought out loud before letting himself cry.  
No, if Drift is giving up, then Crosshairs, Cade, and Bulma could give up.  
"No," she cried out loud. Drift turned around and looked at her.  
"J.R., I didn't know you were there," he said as he walked up to her, watching the tears roll down her face, but she turned around and ran off.  
"J.R.!" Drift yells but doesn't run after her.  
Shit, she's not going to want to talk to me. I hope someone gets her.

J.R. runs into a room away from the room Jayce is in and starts bawling.  
Maybe we should let Jamie go. I can't take Crosshairs and Drift being upset. We don't know for sure if all memories are erased or not, but I'm sure that all memories end up being erased. We'll forget about this nightmare, and unfortunately, the Autobots in this dimension and Jamie won't remember her love for Drift.


	29. I Terrified her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jayce senses something is wrong with J.R> Crosshairs needs to let her show him where J.R. is while Hound gets Bulma. Vegeta returns to Capsule Corp with Bulma and Hound. He and Hound find J.R. first, in a room, unconscious. Jayce is terrified when she sees J.R. unconscious and Crosshairs carrying her away. Drift has to carry Jayce back to the room. Jayce worries J.R. tried to hurt herself like J.R. hurt her. Once J.R. woke up and is doing ok, Crosshairs tries to get Drift to tell him what happened. The two mechs talk, unaware Jayce is listening until Crosshairs sees the tears roll down Jayce's face after Drift leaves. Thankfully she's easy to calm down since sedation drugs are still in her system, but it's not easy dealing with J.R.'s new problem.

"Something is wrong," Jayce mumbled. It's been fifteen minutes since J.R. left the room.  
"What?" Crosshairs asks, worried. Hound walks over to them, also worried.  
"J.R.'s energy is lower than it should be but not like Jamie," she told them, trying to stay calm.  
Shit, did it happen again? Crosshairs wonders. Twenty-four hours later? Not good.  
"Hound, stay here with her," Crosshairs instructs Hound.  
"No, I'm coming with you." Jayce tightens her grip.  
Fuck, she will not let go.  
"I will get Bulma. If J.R.'s energy is low, even a little, J R. could need help," Hound leaves the room. Hound runs to Bulma's lab, not sure if this is an emergency or not.  
"Fine, Jayce, take me to where J.R. is."  
The two of them run out of the room.  
I hope we find Drift first.

"Bulma!" Hound yells as his holoform steps out if his vehicle mode. Bulma, Cade, and Vegeta run out of the building.  
"What's wrong?" She asks.  
"I'm not sure. Jayce says J.R's energy is low but not like Jamie's."  
"Shit," Cade mumbles.  
"I'm going back with you," Vegeta tells her. Bulma opens a portal; she, Vegeta, and Hound get into Hound's vehicle mode and return to Bulma's dimension.

"The lab?" Vegeta asks.  
"Go find her. I just want to make sure she hasn't been in here." Bulma instructed.  
Hound and Vegeta run out of the lab. Bulma looks around the lab to see if anything is missing before running out of the lab in the opposite direction Hound and Vegeta went.  
She took nothing. Why Is her energy low?

Drift headed back to the room. He spots Crosshairs and Jayce running towards him.  
This isn't good.  
"Drift!" Jayce yelled. They stopped in front of him and explained the situation before the three continued to run down the hall.

"Shit," Vegeta says as he and Hound walk into the room, "J R. wake up."  
The others join them two minutes later.  
"No," Jayce cries. Drift keeps her from entering the room. Vegeta and Hound walk out of the room. They watch Bulma look over J.R.  
"Crosshairs, I need you to carry her. I want to do some tests."  
Crosshairs walks in, picks up J.R., and followed Bulma out of the room and down the hall.  
"No!" Jayce yelled and tried to follow Bulma and Crosshairs, but Drift and Vegeta stop her.  
"She'll be ok. Come on."  
Drift decided he had to carry her back to the room. Hound and Vegeta followed him.  
No, J.R. You didn't aim to hurt yourself so you'd have a concussion like me, did you?

Drift sat by the bed. He knew Jayce wouldn't let go yet. Hound and Vegeta stayed out of the room.  
"Damn it; I gave them this nightmare," Vegeta thought out loud.  
"No, Jadin did. We know Bulma found a way to keep severe flare-ups scarce and the fact that this is now the worst. That bastard injected the chemical."  
"I started this shit."  
Vegeta walks away.  
True, but this would have been avoided if it wasn't for that bastard. Jamie wouldn't be having a severe flare-up.

Jayce laid on the bed and let herself cry.  
"She'll be ok." Drift assured her.  
I'm certain it's the same thing as yesterday. It's my fault. J.R. heard me and most likely will tell Jayce. Drift fretted.  
"She's trying to hurt herself as she did to me."  
Drift didn't know what to say because it's most likely true even if J.R. didn't try to hurt herself this time.

An hour passes before Bulma returned to get Drift. Jayce insisted that he go with Bulma.  
This is unusual; Bulma, Drift, and Hound, all thought.  
Bulma brought Drift to a room down the hall.  
"Is she ok?" He asked.  
"It's a repeat of yesterday. I'm just worried about how long it'll take her to wake up. This isn't normal, but the scans are."  
"Is that why you're monitoring her vitals?" Crosshairs asked. Bulma nodded.  
"It's my fault; she heard me," Drift walked out of the room.  
"Go, I'll stay here." Bulma insisted. Crosshairs walked out of the room and caught up with Drift.  
"What did you say?" Crosshairs asked as they stood on the balcony.  
"That I hate seeing Jamie the way she is, and she's not getting any better. I didn't know J.R. was behind me. She took that as giving up on Jamie."  
"Are you?"  
"I don't know. How much longer can her body fight? The chemical is killing her. She's been lucky to have been revived twice."  
"I don't think you want to give up on her."  
"I'm staying away from Jamie," Drift said in a sad tone and walked away, Crosshairs followed him. They both went back to the room J.R. is in.  
"Damn it," Drift mumbled as he walks up to the bed.  
"I'm not even going to ask. I have to go back to Jamie. I'll be back in an hour."  
Bulma walks out of the room.  
"I will check on Jayce," Crosshairs says and walks out of the room.

As Bulma expected, Cade asked what was going in. She explained what's going on before checking on Jamie. Cade watched, hating how Bulma was thinking about letting Jamie go. He didn't bother asking her about Jamie before she got back to work on her laptop. He just sat by Jamie.

Crosshairs walked into the room. Jayce wasted no time insisting on seeing J.R. As much as he didn't want to, Crosshairs gave in. Hound goes with them.  
"Sorry, she insisted I let her see J.R.," Crosshairs told Drift as he watched Jayce walk up to the bed.  
"Why would you think hurting yourself for what you did to me was a good idea?"  
Tears rolled down her face.  
"No, Jayce, she wasn't trying to hurt herself."  
Drift put a hand on her shoulder. Jayce didn't ask why J.R. is unconscious. She just stared, worried J.R. wouldn't wake up soon. The others were surprised she wanted to leave five minutes later. Drift followed her.  
J.R. will not like seeing me when she wakes up and Jayce needs to eat.  
"Come on, wake up." Crosshairs worried. Hound said nothing as he stood next to Crosshairs.  
She's too emotionally drained, that's what caused this and hearing what Drift said. Hound wondered.

"She'll be ok." Drift assured Jayce as they sat on the floor in the room. Jayce was leaning on Drift, drinking a bottle of the nutrition drink while Drift had an arm around her.  
What are you thinking? Drift wondered.

J.R. woke up fifteen minutes later. It relieved crosshairs that she didn't end up unconscious for hours. J.R. wanted Crosshairs to hold her, but he wanted her to lie down, so he just held her hand.  
I can't while you're hooked up on all that. Bulma should be back soon.  
Hound left to tell Jayce. Drift decided not to let Jayce see J.R.again; she'd be back in the room soon.  
As Bulma said, she came back an hour later, relieved that J.R. was awake. She wanted to make sure J.R. was ok. Crosshairs left to talk to Drift.  
"Are we keeping them together? J.R. has been too distracted, and Jayce has been on drugs to have nightmares."  
"The sedation drugs are still affecting Jayce. I don't know if she'll still be dealing with a headache and dizziness, but she'll want to see J.R., you'll be with them."  
"Where are you going?"  
"It's probably a good idea that I stay away from J.R. for now."  
"But Jayce wants you. They need both of us."  
Drift sighed and walked away as Crosshairs went back into the room.

"She's ok, well, you know. Is she going back to the room with Jayce?" Bulma asked. Crosshairs nodded, "well, you can take her back when you want. I took her off the monitor. I'm leaving now, sorry." Bulma walks away.  
I know, you can't be away from Jamie for long. I know it's just a matter of time before she flatlines again, but I hope I'm wrong.

Crosshairs opens the capsule comtaining the mini fridge.  
"Here, you need to drink this," he sat on the bed and gave J.R. a bottle of the nutrition drink. She took it and drank it; Crosshairs waited a few minutes thinking she'd ask to go back to Jayce.  
"You don't want to go back to Jayce?"  
"I don't want to see Drift," she let tears roll down her face. Crosshairs hugged her.  
She's not angry; she's terrified he's thinking about letting Jamie go.

Drift walks back into the room and sees Jayce laying on her side, facing the other bed.  
"Are they coming back?" Hound whispered.  
"I don't know. All I know is J.R. won't want to see me."  
He sat in the chair, facing Jayce, who said nothing about J.R. Drift watched her fall asleep.  
"Are you going to go back?" Drift asks.  
"I'm no help there. At least here, I can help. Like now, go see J.R."  
Drift left the room, but he didn't go to the room J.R. is in; instead, he went back to the balcony.

J.R. fell asleep in Crosshairs' arms an hour later. Crosshairs laid her down and sat on the chair beside the bed.  
I hope Bulma is wrong about this shit going in for eight more weeks. Jayce, J.R. and now Drift lost hope.  
"Hey, you want me to sit here for a while?" Vegeta asks as he walks in five minutes later.  
"I don't know. You don't know the nightmares the girls have been having. They've been lucky not to have one the last couple of days, but Jayce has been on painkillers."  
"How long ago did she fall asleep?"  
"Five minutes ago. She is lucky to get a couple of hours of sleep before the nightmare but-."  
"Go ahead."  
Crosshairs wasn't sure, but he wanted to make sure Drift is ok and left the room.

As he expected, Drift was back at the balcony. Crosshairs stood in the doorway. Not sure what he could say.  
Maybe it's a good thing there's nowhere to go to escape this. The girls need you no matter how much you want to avoid everyone.  
He waited five minutes before standing next to Drift.  
"No, I will not see her."  
Crosshairs was guessing he meant Jamie.  
"What about Jayce? She's still dealing with a concussion."  
"I don't know," Drift said in a sad tone.  
"Come back with me. J.R. is asleep for now."  
Without questioning why he should go with him, Drift followed Crosshairs back to the room.

"Why didn't you bring her back to the other room?" Drift asks.  
"Because I'm not sure how long she'll be lucky not to have nightmares, and Jayce shouldn't be woken up."  
"She probably will be by a headache though you're right, they shouldn't be together for now."  
Drift sat in the chair beside the bed, and Crosshairs stood next to him. Vegeta stood near the door.  
"I'm sorry," Drift whispered.  
"She's not mad at you."  
"I know she's upset at me. She's already emotionally drained, and seeing me will just make her worse."  
Drift leaves the room.  
That didn't go well. Crosshairs thought as he followed Drift out of the room.

Crosshairs kept his distance, so Drift wouldn't know he was being followed. He watched Drift enter Jayce's room and stood by the door, looking through the window. He watched Drift sit on the chair by Jayce's bed before walking into the room five minutes later.  
"I'm going back to Cade's dimension," Hound says and walks out of the room. Crosshairs wanted to continue the discussion with Drift, but he wasn't sure if they should.  
"Do you think you can get away from everyone?"  
"It's better for the girls. They're both emotionally stressed. J.R. has unusual panic attacks that cause her to pass out. I didn't tell you what happened the other night, why Bulma wanted J.R. out of the room."  
"What happened?" Crosshairs asked, looking at Jayce. Drift told Crosshairs what happened.  
"Shit, and it's possible J.R. may end up having one. You're the one that can keep Jayce somewhat calm, so she doesn't have another one, not Hound. I already have J.R. to worry about. I can't help both of them."  
Crosshairs waits for Drift to say something. They sit quietly for five minutes before Drift leaves.  
"I know you're afraid Jamie will die, we all are, but Jayce and J.R. need both of us. I don't think you gave up on Jamie either," Crosshairs says as Drift leaves. He turns to Jayce after Drift closes the door and watched the tears roll down her face.  
Shit, how much of the conversation did she hear?  
He sat on the bed, moved her onto his lap, and hugged her tight. Jayce just let tears roll down her face.  
Is she still feeling the effects of the drugs or trying not to cry? I don't think she's going back to sleep soon. I don't think Drift is coming back.

Hound walks into the building when he returns to Cade's dimension. He expected Cade to be sitting by Jamie and Bulma on her laptop. He stood by Cade and stared at Jamie.  
"I'm surprised you're back."  
"The girls are sleeping, and I think Crosshairs is trying to get Drift not to give up. Drift is avoiding everyone, even Jayce."  
"Shit, how long before Crosshairs does the same?"  
"I hope not."  
Fuck, I can't say anything to show them Jamie will be ok. Bulma thought as she listened to what Hound said.  
"I can't go to Bulma's dimension."  
"Can't or don't want to leave Jamie?"  
"Both. I have to be here."  
"I know. I can't believe we're just waiting for it to happen at this point. Come on, Jamie, you have to fight."

Crosshairs wasn't expecting Jayce to fall back to sleep a half-hour later.  
That was easy, but only because the sedation drugs are still in her system, but will she end up being woken up by a nightmare? Ugh, Drift, you need to be here. I doubt Vegeta can get J.R. to calm down from a nightmare.  
Crosshairs left the room and went back to the room J.R. is in. Vegeta asked what was going on.  
"So, what are you going to do?" He asked after hearing what was going on.  
"I'm going to have to go get Hound...and two syringes with the sedation drug as much as I hate how we've had to resort to that." Crosshairs sighed.  
"Go before either of the girls wake up."  
Crosshairs left the room and ran to Bulma's lab.

"You're here without Drift? Did he not listen to you?" Hound asks as Crosshairs walks towards the building.  
"He's heartbroken and terrified like the girls."  
"What about you?"  
Crosshairs sighed and walked up to Jamie.  
I'll take that as a yes.  
Crosshairs stared at Jamie for ten minutes before walking back to Hound.  
"I need you to come back with me. Drift is still avoiding the girls, and I don't think Vegeta can help J.R."  
"I doubt I'm any better."  
"I don't know. Jayce woke up and was quiet. I don't know if the drugs are still in her system. You might not need to help, but I'd rather not find out the hard way."  
"Do I need to make a sedation syringe for J.R.?" Bulma jumped in. Crosshairs nodded. Bulma got up to make one.  
"Unbelievable. I just hope this nightmare will end soon in the way we want."  
"We all do."  
Crosshairs resumed staring at Jamie while waiting for Bulma to finish. He debated staying with Jamie, but he had to make sure Jayce and J.R. were ok. Bulma finished fifteen minutes later. Crosshairs took the syringe and looked at Jamie one last time before leaving the dimension with Hound.  
"He's afraid like Drift now," Cade observed.  
"Yeah. This isn't good for Jayce, and J.R. Damn it."  
Cade walked off to his trailer. Bulma checked on Jamie and recorded the notes before going to bed.

Crosshairs and Hound returned to the room J.R. was in. She was still sleeping but Crosshairs, Hound, and Vegeta all wondered for how long? Vegeta knew not to bother asking about Jamie. He knew she wasn't improving. Crosshairs told him he could leave, but Vegeta insisted on staying even after Crosshairs told him he doesn't want to watch either of the girls frightened.  
Yes, I do. I want to try to help. I'm the reason this is all happening. Jadin has a weapon to kill Jamie because of me. I'm hoping I can help Jamie but doesn't look like I can yet.

Crosshairs figured J.R. would have a nightmare again, but he didn't expect her to be kicking in her sleep. They all watched, concerned. Wondering what she was dreaming about?  
Crosshairs and Hound got their answer when J.R. says Drift's name.  
"Shit. That's all I need to know what she's having a nightmare about," Crosshairs sat on the bed and held J.R., "wake up, J.R., it's ok."  
Hound and Vegeta watched, hating how terrified J.R. is.  
"How do you know what's scaring her?" Vegeta asks.  
"I'll tell you both later."  
Come on, wake up. It's ok. I know what you're dreaming about, and it didn't happen.  
J.R. woke up five minutes later, looked at Crosshairs, and started bawling.  
This is what Jayce and J.R. have been dealing with? All we can do is hope this nightmare ends in a good way and never happens again. Vegeta hated watching now distraught J.R. is.  
"I'm sorry," he left the room.  
"Maybe it's a good thing he stayed and watched," Hound said  
"No, Hound. He already knows the pain of watching Jamie fighting for her life and then seeing what Jayce and J.R. go through every night. They were lucky to get a three-day break from this. Damn it; it's ok, J.R."  
"I'm getting Drift. It's strange she said his name."  
"No, Hound, don't," Crosshairs urged, but Hound didn't listen.  
Come on; I don't want to have to use the syringe.

"There you are. We need your help," Hound said as he walked towards Drift.  
"What's going on?"  
"J.R. Is frightened. She woke up but is bawling. She said your name."  
"Crap," Drift ran down the hall. Hound followed him.  
Drift hated seeing how upset J.R. was. He was worried she'd end up having a seizure like Jayce though Jayce had the concussion that contributed to hers.  
"Let me try to get her to calm down," Drift said. Crosshairs tried to hand J.R. to Drift, but she tightened her grip.  
"It's ok; nothing happened to Jamie." Crosshairs tells her.  
It's not a lie, but I don't think this is working.  
"Shit."  
Drift watched J.R. arms fall. Crosshairs laid her on his lap with his arm supporting her head. Her eyes closed, and her limbs are convulsing.  
Fuck, this is what Jayce had last night? Crosshairs watches J.R. terrified.  
"You want me to get Bulma?" Hound asked.  
"No, she'll be ok," Drift told him, but Hound wasn't sure and left anyway.  
"You know he's going to anyway?"  
"It's fine. She will be afraid, though."  
"I have a syringe. I had Bulma make one in case J.R. had a nightmare and too difficult to calm down."  
"I'm leaving," Drift says. Crosshairs was more worried about J.R. to stop Drift.  
The seizure ends, and as Drift said, J.R. is afraid. Tears rolled down her face. Crosshairs sat her up and hugged her tight.  
"Are you ok?"  
J.R. wouldn't answer.  
Shit, I don't know if she's just scared about what happened or something is wrong.

"Crap," Hound found Bulma sleeping.  
I don't want to wake her up.  
Hound activated his holoform and sat by Jamie.  
Drift says J.R. will be ok. I just know it's getting harder for Crosshairs and Drift to help the girls; all four are afraid more than the rest of us.

Drift comes back fifteen minutes later.  
"You sure she's ok? She's been quiet."  
Drift looked over J.R., she had a scared expression and tired, but as far as Drift could tell, she was ok.  
"She's just tired, but we can tell Bulma about this tomorrow when she returns."  
Crosshairs had no problem getting J.R. to lie in bed. He was worried something was wrong. Drift waited until J.R. fell asleep before leaving again.  
It's my fault she ended up having a seizure. Jayce is at a higher risk of having another, but they're both emotionally drained and could have one. I'm checking on Jayce and leaving this dimension.

He found Vegeta sitting on a chair in the hallway by Jayce's room and walked away.  
"Hey! Where are you going?!" Vegeta yelled.  
"Not so loud. I'm no help to the girls anymore." Drift said as he walked up to Vegeta.  
"No help!? I've watched how much help you are to Jayce. Even though it's a little help in this situation, she needs you."  
I'm not even going to ask why J.R. said his name while dreaming. I'll find out later. Vegeta thought.  
Drift sighed and walked into the room.  
Good, though, it would be great if she doesn't wake up by a nightmare. I hope J.R. is asleep now. Drift sat on the chair by the ned.

Vegeta went to see if J.R. is asleep before going to bed himself.


	30. He Left

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drift watches Jayce overnight but leaves early in the morning. Crosshairs has a suspicion where Drift went but tells Bulma and Hound to leave Drift alone. Drift has been gone for two days, and the girls are depressed, and nights are rough. Hound tries to get Crosshairs to take a break and see Jamie, but Crosshairs thinks the two girls will be really difficult if he leaves. Hound tells Bulma and Cade how the two girls were overnight and hoping Bulma has an idea to get the girls to do something, unaware J.R. decided to do some training with Vegeta. Though Vegeta thinks she's releasing anger. Jayce is very uncomfortable but refusing painkillers, which makes getting her to drink the nutrition drink hard. A little time passes before Vegeta tries to talk to J.R. again after finding out she refused Crosshairs' comfort, the conversation ends badly.

It relieved Drift that Jayce didn't wake up from a nightmare. He left before she woke up. Both of the girls were up early. J.R. wanted to go back to the room with Jayce.  
They're both upset by what Drift said yesterday, shit, and he left the dimension. Crosshairs hated seeing him depressed the girls are.  
Bulma and Hound came back an hour later. Bulma was also sure J.R. was ok. She and Hound were mad that Drift left, but Crosshairs insisted they leave him alone. He'd talk to Drift later. They didn't know that he meant in a few days. Hound stayed to help with the girls at night, which was a good thing because they both had nightmares.

"Drift has been gone for two days. Both girls are getting more difficult to get to drink the nutrition drink Bulma made for them. It's bad enough they won't eat, but now they're not drinking as much of that as they should be. Wouldn't be surprised if not seeing Drift is causing the girls to worry even more about Jamie and worry about him to the point they're neglecting themselves. He needs to come back," Hound lectured.  
"I know," Crosshairs sighed, "I'm there with you watching how depressed they are. Jayce is very uncomfortable dealing with persistent headaches and dizziness. She knows the painkillers are on the table beside the bed, but she refuses to take them."  
"Why's she doing that?"  
"We thought it was because of Jamie, but Jamie feels no pain. It's strange; she feels she's a burden, but why is she making herself deal with the pain? Drift had to make her take the painkillers. I don't know if it's the depression, and with Drift gone, she feels more depressed."  
"They both do. They know how distraught and terrified he is."  
"We're just lucky they're not frightened to trigger a seizure. I never want to see that again. It's bad enough we watch how depressed they are, and I hate watching them go through panic attacks."  
Crosshairs opened the door, walked into the room, and slowly closed the door to avoid making a sound.  
Good, they're asleep, or at least J.R. is. I hope Jayce is.  
He sat on a chair, though he wasn't sure how much longer they'd be asleep; he'd wait for either of them to wake up. Not like there was anything else to do. Hound joined him soon afterward.  
"You don't need to be here, at least not until tonight."  
"And you know I can stay here, and you can go back and be with Jamie." Hound said, smiling. Crosshairs smiled back for a few seconds before frowning.  
"No, if I go, these two will be difficult."  
I can't see Jamie either.  
J.R. woke up ninety minutes later. Crosshairs knew she would wake up disappointed.  
I know you both want Drift to come back. I also would like Drift to come back.  
Crosshairs hated how J.R. didn't want to do anything. She was still worried about Jayce.  
"You want me to take her to do something?" Hound asked, "Must be a T.V. around here somewhere."  
"Not if she wants to stay here. As much as we hate how they do nothing, I don't want to force them."  
"I'm going back," Hound got up and walked towards the door.  
"All right," Crosshairs said as Hound walked out of the room.  
There's got to be something they can do. Hound thought as he walked to Bulma's lab.

"He's not back yet?" Bulma asked.  
"No, I don't think Crosshairs is in a rush to get him to come back either. Drift is distraught and having a hard time hiding it now."  
"I feared that would happen. How long before Crosshairs can't hide how troubled he is as well?"  
"Is that why Bumblebee can't see Jamie or the girls?" Cade asked, "he's known Jamie longer than Jayce and J.R."  
Maybe, Cade, but you don't know how much closer a relationship Jamie has with Crosshairs and Drift. You don't see the close bond Jamie has with Drift. Hound thought.  
"I came back to see if you have any ideas to get the girls to do something, Bulma."  
"I know, we all hate how they don't want to do anything, but it's not a good idea to force them to do something either."  
She got up and walked to the large box full of capsules. She pulled out one and opened it on the table. It had Jayce's laptop, Jamie's laptop, and a tablet. She looked at what was on Jamie's tablet.  
"I'm surprised she doesn't have that locked." Cade thought out loud.  
"I am too, but it's a good thing it's not locked right now. There are no pictures on here of the three of them. Here, Hound, maybe J.R., will play some of the games on this. It's the best we can do for now. Jayce most likely won't want to use it if she's still dealing with headaches and dizziness."  
"Still?" Cade asked.  
"Yes, I think she has post-concussion syndrome. I was hoping to be wrong. Remember, I said she could have symptoms for a few weeks, fuck," Bulma said before opening a portal for Hound.  
"You're not going with him?"  
"Nothing I can do for Jayce. She needs rest and can take painkillers, but she's refusing."  
Vegeta came into the room to see how the girls were doing. He hated how Jayce had her head covered by pillows.  
"That's how she's dealing with the light sensitivity though I'm not sure if it helps with the headache. She's refusing to take the painkillers," Crosshairs explained. They watched J.R. get out of bed. She wanted to train with Vegeta. Both Crosshairs and Vegeta found this strange but Crosshairs let her.  
Shit, did you give up and are trying to move on? He thought as he watched Vegeta and her walk out of the room. Hound walks in five minutes later.  
"What's the problem?" Hound asked, seeing Crosshairs' expression.  
"J.R. wanted to go train with Vegeta. It's just strange twenty-five days after Jadin's attack, and now she wants to get back to training. It's good she wants to do something, but I wasn't expecting her to want to go back to training."  
"It is strange, but I'm sure it's nothing."  
Crosshairs walked up to Jayce to see if she was sleeping, hoping he wouldn't wake her if she was. He touched her hand, and she moved it to grab his.  
"I wasn't sure if you were awake. You know there are painkillers. Come on."  
She replied with a muffled no.  
She's too uncomfortable to drink the nutrition drink, damn it, I don't want to force her, and I hate how she's letting herself be uncomfortable. I'll leave her alone for a bit.  
"Isn't that Jamie's?" Crosshairs noticed Hound had the tablet.  
"Bulma gave it to me. I told her how I hated how J.R. doesn't want to do anything, and she suggested I take this tablet. I'll leave it for her,"  
He put the tablet on the table.  
"She told you we shouldn't force them to do anything, right? Especially Jayce right now."  
Hound nodded and looked at Jayce, "you will eave her uncomfortable?"  
"No, It's bad enough we must make sure they're both not starving themselves. The problem is she'll be too uncomfortable even to drink. She's had very little these past two days, and I must make her take the painkillers. Damn it."  
He walked out of the room. Hound sat in the chair by Jayce's bed.

Crosshairs went to Bulma's lab and sent Drift a message. He was hoping Drift would contact him.  
Come on, Drift. The girls need both of us.

Vegeta wasn't expecting J.R. to use her full strength during training, though it was the training Vegeta liked, she seemed to treat this as a fight instead of training.  
Damn two hours of this intense training, she's furious at what Jadin did. Is she angry at me as well? I wasn't expecting her to do this kind of training right now. Two hours is enough for now.  
He got her to stop.  
"Are you angry at me?" He asked her.  
"No, I know you regret what you did and would love it if Bulma can cure Jamie."  
"Then what's the problem?" Vegeta asked.  
By now, Crosshairs is walking down the hall towards them.  
"That bastard betrayed us and knew what can kill Jamie! She hurt everyone!" J R. Yelled.  
You're also angry at yourself for what you did to Jayce, aren't you? Vegeta wondered but didn't ask.  
"You don't understand how much that bastard hurt everyone!"  
By now, Crosshairs was standing by her. Both he and Vegeta watched the tears roll down her face.  
"Go take care of Jayce; I'll take her," Vegeta insisted. Vegeta didn't know how Jayce was at this moment, but he knew she was dealing with a headache and dizziness, and J R. hated seeing how Jayce was.  
"No!" J.R. yelled.  
"Nevermind. I'll come with both of you." Vegeta says. They return to the room. Crosshairs got J.R. to drink a bottle of the nutrition drink.  
All right, Jayce, you give me no choice. Crosshairs saw how uncomfortable she is as he held her.  
Damn it, why are you doing this to yourself? He watched the tears roll down her face. She kept her eyes closed. J.R., Hound, and Vegeta hated seeing how uncomfortable Jayce is. J.R. got the painkillers for Crosshairs, and Jayce took them. Crosshairs laid her down and walked towards J.R.  
"You know she'll be ok. I'd just like to figure out why she's doing this to herself."  
J.R. laid back in her bed, facing the wall.  
"Damn it, well, at least she did something for two hours. I will wait an hour before trying to get Jayce to drink some nutrition drink. Hopefully, she doesn't fall asleep before then. How much more depressed can they get?" Crosshairs sighed and sat on the chair between the two beds.  
"You know where Drift is? Go get him," Vegeta whispered.  
"No, I'm leaving it to Crosshairs." Hound walked out of the room.  
He will not leave those two even with Vegeta and me here. Drift has to be distraught to leave them.

"Back already?" Bulma asks.  
"Not much I can do to help right now. Didn't expect J.R. would want to train with Vegeta for two hours, but now she's back to laying in bed. Crosshairs had to make Jayce take the painkillers, and I think he's waiting to get her to drink some of the nutrition drink before she ends up falling asleep. He's worried they could get more depressed."  
"They can't get much worse, but the fact they're depressed enough to trigger seizures isn't good for either of them."  
Bulma felt the way the girls are now is just as bad as if they tried to kill themselves. She didn't want to worry Hound or Crosshairs more than they already are. She didn't think Jayce and J.R. would go that far though it was bad enough they harm themselves. She watched Hound sit by Jamie before returning to her work.  
I'm sorry there's no improvement. She's still hanging by a thread. How the hell she's still fighting just to stay alive at this point is beyond me. I know she's had to be resuscitated twice, but then she keeps fighting for awhile.  
Hound looked at Bulma's expression.  
Please don't give up on her.

J.R. was still facing the wall fifteen minutes later. Crosshairs wasn't sure if she fell asleep or mot. He was certain the painkillers kicked in so he could get Jayce to drink some of the nutrition drink. He was relieved she wanted it, but he didn't expect her not to want to lay back down. They hugged as she cried. By now, Vegeta left the room.

Bulma had to leave the building. Cade found her under the carpet. He didn't like how upset she was  
'"what happened?" He said In a worried tone.  
"Nothing...yet."  
Yet? Fuck I was hoping to be wrong about it just being a matter of time before Jamie flatlines again. Cade feared.  
"She's losing the fight," Bulma tells him in a sad tone.  
"You're giving up?" Cade asked, terrified she'd say yes.  
"I don't know. I told you we're risking Jamie having brain damage from being in a coma and flatlining twice."  
"You told me this is like after Vegeta tried to kill her and look at how long she's been keeping this adventure going. Besides, I know you don't want to let her go."  
"No, I don't. I hate the thought of you and the Autobots losing her, but as I said, we're risking her having damage. She's been lucky several times and came out of this fine, but..." She trailed off. They just sat in silence.  
Vegeta returned to Cade's dimension to see Jamie. He didn't care Hound was already there.  
Fuck, come on, Jamie. I know I won't lose you, but I see how much these Autobots care about you, Jayce, and J.R. I'd hate It if they lost you. I hate watching you go through this.  
Vegeta was expecting Hound to be disgusted with him for leaving Crosshairs alone to take care of the girls, but Hound said nothing.

As usual, Jayce ended up crying herself to sleep. Crosshairs laid her down.  
Good, she has gotten little sleep these past two days. Come on, Drift, you better come back soon.  
J.R. watched, hating how bad Jayce was neglecting herself, but she'd rather Drift stays away.  
Maybe it won't hurt as much when Jamie dies. She buried her head in a pillow, hoping. Crosshairs wouldn't hear her and cried. She was wrong, and he heard her.  
"Come on; you didn't think I'd hear you?" He tried to move her to comfort her, but she refused.  
What's going on with you today? He wondered as he listened to her cry while figuring out what she's been thinking all day.

Both Vegeta and Hound come back two hours later. Crosshairs tells them about how both girls ended up crying and how J.R. wanted to be left alone. Vegeta had his suspicion about why J.R. wanted to be left alone.  
"Let me talk to her. You two stay out here," he said and walked into the room.  
Crosshairs waited five minutes before looking through the window.  
"Whatever she said, he's not liking, and she's crying," he informed Hound, "might be a while before she lets him go."  
"Damn it. What is she thinking? besides, you know."  
"I have no idea, but if she's that upset…" Crosshairs walked into the room, Hound followed him.  
Crosshairs tried to help Vegeta calm J.R. Hound was concerned Jayce would wake up and see how upset J.R. was.  
"I'm getting her out of here before Jayce wakes up," Vegeta says, Crosshairs follows him out of the room. Vegeta sat on the floor in the hallway, holding J.R.  
Shit, did I make her even more upset by asking what was wrong?  
Crosshairs watched his fear come true two minutes later.  
"Shit, I shouldn't have asked her what was wrong. I made her more upset," Vegeta says as he watches J.R., "take her, she'll want you when she comes out of this. I'll come back later."  
Crosshairs takes J.R., and Vegeta walks away.  
You don't want to know what she said. I suspect Jayce is thinking the same.

J.R. comes out of the seizure a minute later. Vegeta was right, even though she wanted him to leave her alone two hours ago. She didn't push Crosshairs away. She was quiet but hugged him.  
He stood up while holding her, went back into the room, and sat on the bed even though he knew she wouldn't let him lay her down. Jayce was now awake but stared at Crosshairs and J.R.

"So.. what is...," Cade had a hard time asking Bulma what the plan was if Jamie flatlines again. He hated how he had to ask and afraid she'd tell him to do nothing.  
"I..."  
"Don't - give up - on - her," Bumblebee walked up to them. Bulma sighed and walked back into the building.  
"I know we're taking a risk, Bee, but Bulma even said this is almost like when Vegeta tried to kill her. There are obvious differences, but I'm not giving up on Jamie."  
Cade walked into the building and saw Bulma checking on Jamie. She had supplies to draw blood and other supplies out.  
Please don't tell me you're deciding based on a blood test unless you will use the other test that showed you eight more weeks. Even that's a bad way to decide.  
He walked out of the building and told Bumblebee.  
"...I hope Jayce and J.R. aren't giving up. Though they're most likely thinking like Bulma."  
"Go - see - the girls."  
"I can't. You know how dangerous that is."  
"Make it - quick. They need - all of us."  
"Ok then, why don't you go? I don't think they'll care you can't say anything. Ok, I'll go with her when she goes back to her dimension."  
Bumblebee decided he'd stay with Jamie when Cade left with Bulma. Bulma finished with what she was going twenty minutes later. Bulma didn't expect Cade to want to go with her but didn't stop him.


	31. We'll Take Care of Them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cade goes with Bulma to her dimension to see Jayce and J.R., hating how depressed they are and how seeing him scares them even more. Vegeta tells everyone what J.R. told him, which Cade follows up by saying Bulma gave up on Jamie, which worries Crosshairs, even though that's not exactly what Bulma meant. Bulma explains what she meant before going back to her lab. Vegeta realizes Crosshairs is getting very stressed even with his and Hound's help. Hound tells him Crosshairs and Drift have been stressed since day one. Hound decides Crosshairs needs to go take a break and asks Bulma to make more sedation syringes. Bulma discovers grim news once she, Cade, and Vegeta return to the junkyard. The three are very concerned Jamie will flatline again. Bulma returns to her dimension a little later and checks on Jayce and J.R. before going to her lab. Crosshairs goes to ask about Jamie but is afraid to. Bulma insists he go to wherever Drift is for a few days, but Crosshairs doesn't like how easy the two girls get distraught, After struggling with the two girls; Hound and Vegeta convince Crosshairs to go take a break for the night. Crosshairs sees Jamie first, hating she's getting worse, hoping she won't flatline again.

Bulma told Cade where he'd find the girls and Crosshairs before testing the samples she brought.  
As he feared, both girls worried seeing him here.  
Geez, they're that afraid that they don't think I'm here to see them.  
"It's ok," he assured them. Crosshairs walked up to him.  
"Is everything ok?" He whispered.  
"Nothing's changed...that I know of. Bulma brought some samples to test. Bumblebee is with Jamie. I'm trying to get him to come here."  
"He doesn't have to. These two are too depressed to do anything."

Bulma and Vegeta walked into the room ten minutes later. They both were relieved that Jayce wasn't uncomfortable but knew Crosshairs had to make her take the painkillers. Vegeta wanted to talk to everyone besides the girls in the hallway about what J.R. told him.

"She gave up. She wants Crosshairs and Drift but also doesn't want to see them. She wants you two to be with Jamie," Vegeta explained.  
"Fuck. She's an emotional wreck and not sure what she wants. I wouldn't be surprised if Jayce is the same way."  
"They gave up like you."  
"What?!" Crosshairs looked at Bulma.  
"Seriously, Cade?!"  
Bulma told Crosshairs what's she's been telling Cade. She was glad Hound was here to listen to what she has to say.  
".... we're taking a risk. I...I just don't know."  
"Is there any way you can find out?" Cade asks.  
"I might have something," she walks away. Cade assumed back to her lab, so he follows her.  
"Unbelievable. I don't even know what to do. J.R. wants me to stay here but also wants me to stay away from her."  
"Take a break tonight when they go to sleep." Hound suggested. Vegeta nodded in agreement.  
"I don't know..." Crosshairs walks back into the room.  
"He's getting stressed," Vegeta observed.  
"Crosshairs and Drift have been stressed. Jayce and J.R. keep getting more challenging to the point they can't see Jamie. They did two days ago with the girls and ended up frightened, you know the rest. I know it's just a matter of time before Crosshairs leaves. Maybe now because J.R. and Jayce gave up and got upset seeing him because well, you know."  
Hound walks away. Vegeta goes back into the room. Crosshairs tried to get the girls to drink a bottle of the nutrition drink before the painkillers wore off, and Jayce would be too uncomfortable. Vegeta noticed how bothered Crosshairs was about what he and Bulma said. As far as Vegeta could tell, neither of the girls noticed that something was bothering him.  
Vegeta watched Jayce hug Crosshairs when she finished drinking.  
Maybe she didn't give up like J.R...yet or she getting uncomfortable?  
He made sure J.R. was ok before leaving the room, Hoping to catch Bulma before she left.

"Here it is, a portable EEG. This may tell us if Jamie will have damage or not. This works just like the standard sized EEG."  
"Bulma, can you make more of those sedation syringes?" Hound asked.  
"Why?" She asked, concerned.  
"I'm hoping Crosshairs will go where Drift is for the night, and well, we know how difficult the girls can be. I'd rather be prepared."  
"You know he'll be gone longer than tonight?" Cade asked.  
"I know, he's not sure what to do at this point. The girls want him, but they also seem to want him to find Drift."  
"Oh good, you haven't left yet. I'm coming back with you," Vegeta says as he walks up to them, "for a few hours before the girls go to sleep."  
"You know you and I will have to take care of the girls for a few days?" Hound asks.  
"Yes," Vegeta says in a sad tone, which surprised Bulma, "I know he'll be going back to where Drift is and how he's not sure what to do now that he knows what J.R. told me."  
"Come on; we better go back. I'll work on those syringes, Hound."  
Hound watched them leave before heading back to the room. He wasn't surprised Crosshairs is still hugging Jayce or that J.R. had her back facing the two of them. J.R. didn't want to do anything even though Hound left the tablet on the table.  
Is she trying not to look at Crosshairs or hated how Jayce was getting uncomfortable again? He wondered. Jayce will be difficult, no matter who's with her. He sat in the chair by J.R.'s bed.

Vegeta sat beside Jamie when they returned to Cade's dimension. Cade told Bumblebee about how the girls are doing, what J.R. told Vegeta, how Crosshairs might leave the girls, and the tests Bulma is doing.  
"...I hope these tests give us good news."  
He finished before walking into the building. Bulma was standing next to Vegeta. He walked up next to her.  
"She's getting worse, fuck."  
Bulma walks to the table.  
Fuck, come on, Jamie. Both Cade and Vegeta thought. They knew she was close to flatlining again.  
"You're giving up?" Vegeta badgered.  
Geez, at least ask calmly. Bulma is stressed and afraid like the rest of us.  
"I..." she couldn't say anything more before letting tears roll down her face. Cade was surprised Vegeta hugged her.  
What can I even say? Most likely, the samples she's testing are invalid now. I'm surprised he's not liking that she's thinking about letting Jamie go.  
"Are those tests you're doing invalid now?" Vegeta asked.  
"It's possible the blood test will be. I have to see the results first."  
"What about that?" Vegeta points to the portable EEG.  
"No, that'll just tell us if she'll come out of this with any brain damage."  
"Don't give up," he urged Bulma before walking towards Cade, "I know you think I don't care about this situation, but I've seen how close you and the Autobots are to the girls," he was whispering, "I'd hate for Jamie to lose her friends. I can't believe Bulma has been considering giving up. She did all she could after I tried to kill Jamie-."  
"Stop, I get it. Bulma knows more about this than we do. All we can is hope the tests turn out the way we want," Cade whispered.  
"I'm waiting to do the EEG now."  
Bulma walked out of the building.  
"Fuck, she's sure it'll happen again. Come on, Jamie," Cade and Vegeta just stared at Jamie.  
Bulma came back ten minutes later to work on the syringes for Hound. Neither Cade nor Vegeta said a word. She worked quietly for the next twenty minutes until she finished and left to give Hound the syringes.  
"I'll be back in a bit," Vegeta says.  
"You should have gone with her."  
"The plan was when they went to sleep. I'll go back by then."  
They just stared at Jamie.

Bulma walked into the room twenty minutes later.  
"Where is he?" Crosshairs whispered in an angry tone.  
"He says he'll be back."  
"He better. He knows how bad these two are neglecting themselves. I can't leave if Hound is the only one who'll be here."  
"Here, Hound," Bulma gave Hound the syringes before going to her lab.

"I'm going to talk to Bulma," Crosshairs tells Hound ten minutes later. Jayce waited a minute before getting off the bed and headed towards the door.  
"Where are you going?" Hound asked though he could guess where she was going.  
"With Crosshairs. I want to talk to Bulma too."  
"No, Jayce, just don't," J.R. said in a sad tone as she sat on the edge of the bed. Jayce sat on the bed next to her.

Crosshairs found Bulma looking at samples when he walked into the lab. He would wait for her to finish.  
"What is it?" She asked while still working.  
"Never mind."  
Crosshairs walked away.  
Fuck, I know what he wanted to ask. The fact he's too afraid to now, damn it. 

Crosshairs didn't go back to the room. He sat in the hallway, waiting for Bulma to finish, trying to keep it together. Bulma comes out ten minutes later. She sat next to him.  
"You can stay with Drift for a few days," she told him, though she expected Crosshairs to say no.  
"I don't know. I can't leave these two even with Hound and Vegeta here."  
"You need a break. I imagine that's why Drift's been gone for three days, though it would have been nice if he said something. I know he most likely hates that he had to leave. The girls are too depressed to do anything and-."  
"That's just it, Bulma. I can't leave them like that. J.R. doesn't know what she wants. I'm not sure if Jayce is the same way, and she makes herself stay uncomfortable. I know Hound and Vegeta will be with them, but I just can't leave them."  
He got up and headed back to the room.  
Bulma got up and followed him.

They found Jayce and J.R., distraught, sitting together on the bed.  
"You see why I can't leave them? What happened, Hound?"  
"Jayce tried to follow you to the lab. J.R. stopped her but got her upset," Hound whispered. The three of them stepped out of the room.  
"I don't even want to know what she wanted to talk about. She knows it's very unlikely that Jamie would improve in the two days since she saw her," Bulma says.  
"I hope she's not giving up, and she was going to ask you to let Jamie go," Hound guessed.  
"They both have little hope and hate seeing you and Drift upset," Bulma sighed, looking at Crosshairs, "It's unknown what happens when Jamie dies, or it's happened before, and the theory is true; any memories of the dimension are erased. We'll never know for sure. I know they think this is a solution but afraid to take the chance, and I won't do it either."  
"Sounds like you are debating on doing it." Crosshairs wanted to ask about Jamie, but again he was afraid to. He didn't think it would be good news.  
"You wanted to ask me something earlier?" Bulma asks.  
"It's nothing," Crosshairs walks back into the room.  
"I know what he wants to ask."  
"I'd like to know too," Hound tells her. Bulma couldn't get herself to tell him.  
"Your silence is speaking for you. Damn it, what...what is the plan when it happens?"  
"I can't bear letting her go even if all memories are erased, what you guys will have to go through if I'm wrong. We will resuscitate her, but you know there's a chance it won't work. If we're successful, I will run a test to see if she has brain damage. All we can hope is she's still a lucky fighter."  
Talking about the plan upset Bulma.  
"It's ok; I know you're doing all you can."  
Hound wondered why Bulma is waiting until Jamie flatlines again.  
They walked back into the room. J.R. moved back to the other bed; Crosshairs hugging her.  
"I'm going back. I can help with these two if Crosshairs leaves." Bulma tells Hound.  
"Hold on; I'd like to come back with you."  
Bulma knew Hound wanted to make sure the girls were ok so he could go. They walked into the room. J.R. was laying on the bed watching Crosshairs hugging Jayce, who was leaning on him. Sure the girls were ok now, but they way J.R. was today, he wasn't sure if Crosshairs could handle both girls.  
"Go ahead."  
Hound and Bulma leave the room.  
I wouldn't be surprised if she's thinking about Jamie and getting upset. What a fucking nightmare the bastard gave us, but these two, Drift and I, are hurting. Our team is divided in three dimensions now.

"I was coming back," Vegeta said when he saw Hound came back with Bulma.  
"I came here to see Jamie," Hound said once he was standing next to Vegeta, "though Crosshairs wonders if you're coming back. He still hasn't decided if he's leaving or not. He tried to ask Bulma about Jamie, but he's too afraid to. I wonder if he knows, even without seeing Jamie?" Hound looked at the monitor, "fuck."  
"All we can do is hope she gets the strength to improve and not continue to decline," Vegeta sighed.  
"Come on, let's go back," Hound insisted before they got too upset. Bulma opened a portal for them before checking on Jamie and going back to work on her laptop.  
"That was quick," Crosshairs comments, still hugging Jayce.  
"Is she ok?" Hound asked. He was gone for only ten minutes, but Hound was thinking Crosshairs would have had her laying in bed by now.  
"I don't know. She won't let go. I will not make her lie down yet though she feels dizzy, and I think the headache is back."  
I think she's also upset about Jamie.  
Hound was happy to see J.R. was using the tablet; it was something to distract her.  
"Hand me a painkiller tablet and the bottle of water, please Hound."  
She's really upset not to let go for thirty seconds. Hound thought as he did what Crosshairs asked. Jayce took the painkillers.  
What's going on with you? Both of you today? Crosshairs wondered.  
Vegeta watched quietly, hating how the girls changed.  
"Are you beating yourself over this?" Hound whispered  
"You know I gave Jadin a weapon. It's my fault, Crosshairs, Drift, and the girls are going through this shit. I know everyone hates this-."  
"No, it's not your fault. She betrayed the girls. She's trying to kill Jamie. Blaming yourself does nothing to help any of them."  
It surprised Vegeta that Hound said that. Just a week ago, Hound didn't trust him and seemed angry at him. Same with Crosshairs. Vegeta wondered if they were just worried about the girls, and once this situation was over, they'd hate him.  
By eight PM, J.R. wanted to go to sleep, but she was having difficulty falling asleep. Jayce still wouldn't let go of Crosshairs and was fighting sleep.  
Damn it, now J.R. is having a hard time falling asleep, and Jayce is fighting falling asleep. Do they know I'm going to leave? Crosshairs wondered. I know they're both tired. What are they thinking?  
Jayce gave in and was asleep fifteen minutes later. Crosshairs waited fifteen minutes before laying her down on the bed. He looked over at J.R., who was still awake. Crosshairs wasn't sure if J.R. wanted him or not. He stood next to Hound.  
"You think they know about the plan?" Hound whispered.  
"I don't think so, but they may be afraid I'll leave for days and thinking of Jamie. Damn it. I can't leave them. You know what they'll think if I leave," Crosshairs whispered.  
"Damn it," Vegeta leaves the room. He just leaned on the wall near the room.  
"Were you going to leave for days?" Hound asked.  
"I...I don't know. I can't leave them alone-."  
"You're getting too stressed. How long before you can't hide how upset you are from the girls like Drift?" Hound was trying not to yell, "you need to take a break."  
Crosshairs looked at both the girls.  
"And what are you going to do when they're frightened? If I knew they'd just be depressed, then I'd leave. You and Vegeta can handle that, but you know how bad this is. You see why this team within the team is bad?"  
"No, it's not. Here, you'll probably need this." Hound gives him a syringe, walks out of the room and down the hall.  
How many times do I have to tell him before he gets it?  
Vegeta watched him, wondering if the plan changed. He'd wait a few minutes before asking Crosshairs.

Crosshairs sat on J.R.'s bed, not sure if she wanted him or not. He hated that she couldn't get to sleep. J.R. got up, moved on to his lap, and hugged him. Crosshairs could tell she was trying not to cry.  
What's going on with you two today?  
Vegeta comes back in five minutes later. He sits by J.R's bed but says nothing.

"What's the problem?" Bulma asks as Hound walks into the building.  
"The girls. Jayce fought sleep for as long as she could, and J.R. can't get to sleep. Do you think they know Crosshairs is leaving? I know he's getting as upset as Drift."  
"I'm not sure if they know or just afraid he will leave for more than the night like he plans."  
"I think he'll be gone for days like Drift. Strange, he's this worried about them if he's coming back tomorrow."  
"Damn it. He's getting upset like Drift. You know how bad this will be if he leaves?"  
"Yeah, but if he can't keep hiding how upset he is, that will also be bad."  
"So, we're screwed either way," Cade jumps in. "How the hell could they hide how upset they were all this time?"  
"They didn't have to worry about Jayce and J.R. That's my guess. Watching them decline and Jamie plus how long this shit has been going on contributed to it like it's causing the girls mental decline," Bulma explained.  
"I tried to get him to go, but I don't think he will."  
Hound stood next to Cade by Jamie.

"What?" Crosshairs couldn't believe what J.R. just said.  
"Go find Drift," tears rolled down her face, "go be with Jamie."  
She ends up bawling.  
Damn it. Crosshairs picked her up and carried her out of the room. Vegeta followed him though he wasn't sure if he could help. They sat in the hallway near the room. Crosshairs hugged her tightly.  
"I don't understand why she said something now. Not like it matters. You know how she's been all day and the last five days. Jayce isn't much better. This has been a nightmare for all of us."  
Damn it. So what are you going to do? Vegeta wondered as he watched Crosshairs try to calm J.R. down so she'd go to sleep.  
I don't want to have to drug you so you'll go to sleep.  
He waited fifteen minutes before having to give in. J.R. wasn't bawling anymore, but she wasn't calming down. Crosshairs laid her down on the bed five minutes later.  
"Damn it. This is becoming routine. I hate it, but she won't get much sleep if I don't do it, and I risk her having an emotional seizure. "  
J.R. is asleep ten minutes later as Hound walks into the room.  
"Do I even bother asking?" Hound asks.  
"She doesn't know what she wants. She told me to find Drift and to be with Jamie. She ended up bawling. I took her out of the room before she woke Jayce up. I couldn't get her to calm down without using the syringe, and she fell asleep. It's clear she wants me to stay here, but she also wants me to find Drift and be with Jamie. Jayce is the same way."  
"So?" Hound and Vegeta both asked.  
"I don't know."  
"You need a break, even for tonight."  
Crosshairs looked at the girls and sighed, "fine."  
He gives Hound the capsule Bulma gave him and walked out of the room.

Crosshairs did what J.R. wanted and returned to Cade's dimension. He walked into the building as quietly as possible and walked up to Jamie. Bulma watched him walk up to Jamie before quietly walking out of the building. Crosshairs sat in the chair near the bed and held Jamie's hand.  
"I don't know if you can hear me. Come on, Jamie, fight this. We can't take seeing this. Drift is spark broken."  
He couldn't keep himself from reading the monitor.  
Fuck, come on, Jamie. I know you're a fighter. Please don't flatline on us again.  
Unknown to Crosshairs, Bulma has been watching from the entrance.  
Shit, he knows how bad she is.

Crosshairs stayed with Jamie for five more minutes before deciding he had to leave. He figured Bulma would have left, so he opened a portal himself. Bulma ran to hide on the side of the building. She watched Crosshairs' holoform get into his vehicle mode, but instead of leaving right away, he transformed and looked into the building before walking into the portal.

"Hey, are you ok?" Cade walks up to her a minute later.  
"Crosshairs came by. He knows how bad Jamie is. I saw how frightened he is."  
"And he's going back to the girls, great."  
"I don't think so."  
Bulma walks into the building and looks on her laptop, " he went to Jamie's dimension."  
"Shit, no way this is just for tonight now."

"I think this won't be just for tonight. I don't want to take the chance and think these two won't be very difficult all day, and it turns out they're very difficult-." Hound tells Vegeta.  
"I know. I'll go back and have Bulma make more syringes."  
Vegeta gets up and walks out of the room.


	32. I Don't Know What We Should Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hound and Vegeta prepare the best they can to take care of Jayce and J.R. for several days. Bulma is getting stressed but won't leave Jamie alone, leaving Cade to beg her to take a break. Hound and Vegeta hate how bad Jayce and J.R> are neglecting themselves and how they don't want to do anything, even though it would be the same if Crosshairs and Drift were here. Vegeta is unhappy with this and hopes the way he's been able to help Jamie recover can be done sooner. By late afternoon, Jayce and J.R. do not like Crosshairs, and Drift haven't come back. Bulma tells Hound how most doctors would have given up on Jamie weeks ago. Bulma fears Jamie will flatline again, that Jayce and J.R. will be back to dealing with nightmares and panic attacks again.

Damn, explains why you didn't contact me after I sent the message.   
Crosshairs found Drift laying on the bed in Jamie's room, sleeping. Have you been sleeping for three days straight? We've slept very little the past month, just enough not to need to rest for several days. We definitely could use it.  
Crosshairs found the picture meant to be on the end table, on the bed. That explains it.  
He sat on the bed and looked at the picture. Unbelievable, This is one fucking nightmare. It looks like we won't get the ending we want. He put the picture on the floor, laid down, and let himself fall asleep.

"What happened?" Vegeta asked, seeing how upset Bulma is. He didn't like what she told him.  
"So Hound's right, he will be gone for days, fuck. He wants you to make some of the sedation syringes. Enough for three days if you can."  
"I can, but I want to make sure they're doing ok."  
"Do it, Bulma. I don't want you to add more to stress about, and you know how risky it is to leave Jamie for long." Cade tells her.  
"He's right. Just prepare enough syringes for three days. If you can go back and see them, then ok, but it's not safe to leave with Jamie the way she is, then don't," Vegeta says before joining Cade by Jamie.  
"So did J.R. go to sleep?" Cade asks.  
"Crosshairs had to drug her; It's becoming routine. That's when Crosshairs debated leaving; Hound did a good job convincing him to take a break. Hound knows it's most likely for several days."

Bulma finished making the syringes twenty minutes later. She handed him a capsule. "Here, this will last three days, hoping it's enough."  
"I know you are doing all you can. Don't worry about Jayce and J.R. we'll get you if we need help," Vegeta says, looks at Jamie one last time before leaving.  
"How can I not worry? They're both an emotional wreck and have emotional seizures. Jayce is still dealing with crap after the concussion. They're not in good health." She thinks out loud.  
"I know you've done all you can, and there's not much anyone else can do. It's getting harder to keep Jayce and J.R. calm. Unless you want to sedate them for days or until this shit is over, I know you don't. It's not something medical professionals do," Cade says.  
"I might have to, but I hope I don't."

"Here, these should be enough for three days." Vegeta handed Hound the capsule with the syringes, "Bulma and Cade dislike this."  
"We all dislike this. This is a little better than Crosshairs' or Drift's inability to hide how terrified they are but still not a great idea. Nothing is until this shit is over."  
Hound insisted that Vegeta go to bed, but he refused. Instead, he slept while sitting on the floor.

He woke up at seven A.M.

"Told you could have gone to bed. Jayce didn't wake up, and J.R. wouldn't since she's been drugged."  
"I'm not taking any chances. If they both ended up waking up, you can't help both of them. Strange, Jayce didn't wake up. Those painkillers don't last all night."  
"Hopefully, she was comfortable enough to stay asleep."  
An hour later, they watched Jayce move pillows around To cover her head. Hound wasted no time getting her to take the painkillers. He laid her down and put the pillows back on her head.  
"I don't understand; she makes herself stay uncomfortable but doesn't refuse when anyone makes her take the painkillers. Yet, she feels she's a burden," Hound says as he sits back down next to Vegeta.  
"I think she's just too uncomfortable to refuse," Vegeta looked at the girls, "you can go back and see Jamie. Jayce won't be doing anything for at least an hour. I should be able to handle J.R," Vegeta whispered so Jayce wouldn't hear him. He knew Hound wouldn't take long either. Hound agreed, gave Vegeta the capsules he had, and left the room.  
I don't think they'll be doing anything different than they have the past five days. They'll just be more depressed than they have been.

Hound knew he'd find Bulma caring for Jamie when he got back to Cade's dimension. The Autobots have been wondering what all the medical equipment is. Still, they were more worried about Jamie to ask about the equipment. He just watched her hoping there was the slightest sign of improvement but knew it was unlikely. Bulma sighed as she sat on the chair and typed on her laptop, unaware Hound has been watching her. Cade walks in five minutes later.  
"Bulma, if you need to step away from here, then go ahead. You need not be right here all day," Cade says, noticing how stressed Bulma is getting, "I'm here most of the day anyway."  
"You don't notice? Jamie has been declining and now seems stable though these aren't good vitals, and she's not improving. I'm concerned her body has done all it can; she's too weak to fight this," neither Cade nor Hound knew what to say, "Jadin knew that if Jamie is exhausted from fighting, she wouldn't be able to fight the flare-up. The only thing she didn't know about was Super Saiyan blue. However, Jamie still needs a lot of training to fight using blue without ending up exhausted quickly. All because of this illness." Bulma let tears roll down her face. Cade hugged her.  
"you need to take a break. Even if you're still around here, it's fine, and I'll be here."  
Bulma agreed and walked out of the building. She didn't go far.  
"I'd tell her to go back to her dimension, but it's not a good idea. I also think she'd be in her lab working on something related to Jamie. Even if she figured out something to help Jamie, she'd need to test it for a while. Not safe to just give it to Jamie right away. She could be right, fuck, seven more weeks before she improves."  
"Damn it; it looks like we will not get the ending we want."  
Cade and Hound stood by Jamie, hoping she'd get the strength to fight the severe flare-up and that she wouldn't flat line again.

J.R. woke up forty minutes after Hound left. She looked at Jayce. Vegeta noticed that she was worried about Jayce.  
Every day. Come on, J.R., you know she's ok. We don't leave her uncomfortable.  
He watched J.R. get out of bed and walk up to Jayce's. She touched her to see if she was awake. Jayce moved the pillows off her head, looked at J.R., and sat up. J.R. sat on the bed next to her.  
How long before they notice Crosshairs isn't here? Crap Hound, you better get back soon. Vegeta thought as he got the fridge with the nutrition drink out of the capsule. Both the girls took a bottle and drank it.  
They're hungry but neglecting themselves, worrying about Crosshairs, Drift, and Jamie.  
Hound comes back ten minutes later.  
Shit. Good thing I came back.  
Vegeta got up from the chair he sat in and walked up to Hound.  
"Before they get upset, Crosshairs isn't here. How is Jamie?" He whispered.  
"Nothing's changed. Bulma is concerned Jamie doesn't have the strength to fight. As Bulma puts it, she's stable, but vitals aren't good. She also seems to think there's a new variable compared to when you tried to kill her." Hound whispered.  
"Fuck, I know what she's talking about."

"Where's Crosshairs?" J.R. asks twenty minutes later.  
"He's taking a break. He'll be back with Drift." Hound tells her, hoping that would be a good enough answer.  
That went well for now, but how long before she gets upset that he or Drift are not back? Hound wondered as he watched J.R. lay in bed, facing the wall. Jayce laid back down and turned, so she was facing the wall.  
"Damn it. Not like this is any different from when Crosshairs was here or when both of them were here, but I hate this," Hound whispers.  
Vegeta mods in agreement, "I just hope they don't become more difficult realizing he's not coming back today, and we don't know when he or Drift will be back. How long before they get frightened by them not being here? You know what they'll end up thinking."

Bulma walked back into the building after a three-hour break. Cade is still sitting by Jamie.  
"So, you plan to make yourself more stressed so I can step away for a while?"  
"No, I watch the monitor, I don't know how to do the tests you're doing, the drugs you give, or anything involved with Jamie's care. I wonder if Jayce knew she was getting too stressed and would need me to take over for her? I didn't want to learn all this while Jamie is critical, but maybe I should have. I know reading the records would help me very little."  
"No, you're right. This isn't something you'll get within a day or two, maybe if this wasn't so bad. Though it will be hard to learn without being hands-on."  
"Not now, Bulma, even if it's just teaching me how to prepare an IV bag. You need to focus on Jamie and yourself."  
"I do want to go see Jayce and J.R.."  
"I don't know if that's a good idea. You know they'll either be scared about what's going on or ask about Jamie. Hound or Vegeta will come back with if they need help and probably at night to see Jamie."  
"Bulma?" Vegeta says as he walks into the building.  
"Is there a problem?" She asks him.  
"No, the girls are quiet for now. I came here to ask, is there anything I can do to help Jamie?"  
"No, the level of the chemical is still too high. Your blood wouldn't do anything to help her. It would be a waste right now."  
"Then, increase the amount of blood you draw from me," Vegeta was trying to stay calm.  
"I know you're frustrated, we all are, but I don't think this will work yet. Plus, there's a safe amount of blood I can draw, I already draw that amount."  
"Damn it."  
Vegeta walks up to Jamie and sits on the chair. Bulma and Cade stand behind him. All three looking at Jamie.

Bulma and Vegeta went back to their dimension twenty minutes later. Bulma looked into the room and saw the girls. Hound joined her and Vegeta in the hallway.  
"They've been like that since we told them Crosshairs was taking a break," Vegeta informed Bulma.  
"I know they do the same as when Crosshairs or Drift are here, but I hate this. Crosshairs and Drift need a break. I say we don't contact them yet."  
"It's hard to tell if this is because Crosshairs left or they're frightened about Jamie. They're getting harder to figure out, but you know there's nothing we can do."  
"Damn it. I hope we can keep them from getting frightened enough to trigger seizures." Hound says.  
"We'll find out tonight. The painkillers keep Jayce asleep enough not to have a nightmare."  
"It's likely that's what's happening, though she might end up having a nightmare once the painkillers were off. I think the longer Crosshairs or Drift aren't here, the more likely they will become more frightened," Bulma guessed, "I do want to see how uncomfortable she is."  
Hound tells her when Jayce had the painkillers before Bulma left.  
Hound and Vegeta walked back into the room. J.R. watched them come in, hoping. Crosshairs or Drift are with them. Hound caught her before she rolled over, facing the wall. He noticed the  
tears roll down her face.  
Damn it, not long before she gets really upset. Jayce is probably the same way.

"What's wrong?" Vegeta asked, noticing Hound's concerned expression.  
"You didn't see J.R.? She was watching us come in, hoping at least Crosshairs is back. I watched the tears roll down the before she laid back down."  
"She's trying not to cry. You want me to-?"  
"No, leave her alone. She should be ok...for now."  
"I'll be back later," Vegeta says and walks out of the room.  
Back to see Jamie already? You're beating yourself over this. I'm guessing you never watched some of Jamie's friends deal with this crap before.

Hound didn't care Vegeta stayed in Cade's dimension for hours. The girls didn't move and were asleep all afternoon. As he expected, the painkillers wore off by four P.M., and Jayce covered her head with pillows. Bulma and Vegeta walked in five minutes later.  
"See what Jayce does?" Hound whispered to Bulma. The three of them walk up to Jayce's bed. She instructed Vegeta to help Jayce sit up. He sat on the bed, which Bulma didn't get why he sat on the bed first. He got her to sit up and moved her to his lap. Bulma watched her lean on Vegeta.  
"She's not getting worse but still dealing with the symptoms."  
"When are Crosshairs and Drift coming back?" Jayce asked. Bulma, Hound, and Vegeta looked at each other, knowing that she'll end up very upset if they're not careful with the answer and possibly get J.R. upset.  
"They're taking a break; they'll be back," Vegeta tells her. It was the truth, but they didn't know when Crosshairs and Drift would come back. Jayce just hugged Vegeta and let tears roll down her face. Hound and Bulma go to the front of the room.  
"I can't tell if she's just upset Crosshairs and Drift aren't here or thinking they gave up and won't be back. If she's like J.R., she possibly thinks it's good they're not here but also wants them here."  
"You have the weight of how your decision will affect everyone. I know little about Jamie's care. We know how to care for the mild to moderate flare-ups. Even though she's showing a prime chance of flatlining again, even seeing Jayce and J.R. like this and what they're thinking, I wouldn't give up yet."  
"You know most doctors would have by now, most likely after the first week. Jamie would be considered a rare case, a very lucky fighter. Even looking at her records, I'm afraid to let her keep fighting for longer than the current longest time she's been critical, thirty days. That she won't be lucky, and you know she's showing a high chance of flatlining. I have a test that'll show us if Jamie has any brain damage. I'm waiting until she either flat lines again or improves enough that she won't flatline. After that...I don't know."  
"It's ok, Bulma. We realized a two ago that we couldn't make a plan. We've had to change plans several times. I still couldn't make it so Crosshairs and Drift could be with Jamie and help Jayce and J.R. No way I could have made sure they didn't end up so stressed either."  
"It's impossible not to get stressed or afraid in a situation like this. Unfortunately, Jayce and J.R. seemed to have gotten the worst of it." Bulma was quiet for a minute, "about Jayce, considering the time, she's most likely going to have a nightmare tonight. Those painkillers last six hours though I wonder if she's not doing anything that allows them to last longer."  
"You think it won't be the same tonight now that she knows Crosshairs left?"  
"Yeah, this might not be a good night. You have what you need. I'm just giving Jayce more painkillers. I don't want to use IV sedation. I know I did several days ago, but it was a good thing for her. Now she's resting as she should be,"  
She walked up to Jayce and gave her the painkillers before leaving the room and dimension.  
So tonight will be the challenge. Hound thought watching Vegeta having a hard time getting Jayce to lay back down and J.R. still laying on her side facing the wall.

Bulma told Cade about the girls and the talk she had with Hound.  
"Back to the nightmares and panic attacks, fantastic."  
"Maybe not, but I think it's likely for J.R. It's back to the shit they were dealing with five days ago. Not like they got a break from that shit."  
She went back to her work on her laptop. Cade left to tell Bumblebee about how the girls were doing today.  
"...I hope Crosshairs and Drift won't be long, but they also need a break." He walked back into the building and sat by Jamie. Bumblebee's holoform joined him five minutes later.

Two hours pass before Hound returned to the junkyard to see Jamie. He didn't expect to see Bumblebee with Cade.  
"They've been there for two hours," Bulma tells him, "I'm used to Cade being with Jamie for hours but not Bumblebee. He must be anxious."  
"I know Cade was trying to get him to see the girls, but I will not make him. It's bad enough he sees how bad Jamie is."   
He joins Cade and Bumblebee for an hour before going back to Bulma's dimension.


	33. A Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vegeta is greatly concerned about the girls, how much Jayce and J.R. are struggling mentally, and seeing how critical Jamie is. Vegeta discovers the mess of emotions J.R> kept bottled up until she wanted to do some training with him. He worries she'll disturb Crosshairs and Drift. While everyone would like the two mechs to come back, they'd rather the two come back when they're ready. Bulma, Cade, Hound, and Vegeta plan if J.R. tries to go to Jamie's dimension. Back at Jamie's dimension, Drift discovers. Crosshairs is with him. The two decide to go see Jamie, but they chose a horrible time to return to Cade's dimension.

“Are you alright?” Hound asks Vegeta. Vegeta has been quiet and distracted, “don’t tell me you’re beating yourself over this again?”  
“I’m amazed you aren’t happy I am.”  
“I know I was angry at you, but If you didn’t care, you wouldn’t be this bothered. You wouldn’t be beating yourself over this. It’s Jadin’s fault; you know that. She knows about Jamie’s condition. Bulma says Jadin returning to kill Jamie and watching Jamie struggle affected Jayce and J.R, especially after Jamie flatlined. She thinks it wouldn’t have made a difference if the girls told us what happened when Jadin betrayed them.”  
Vegeta said nothing.  
“You’re bothered by something else?” Hound Observed.  
“Several things. How bad are Jayce and J R. going to be tonight until Crosshairs or Drift come back and...” he couldn’t finish.  
“It’s most likely going to be J.R., who will have a bad night. I’m hoping Jayce will continue to be relaxed with the painkillers. I’m not sure if we should separate them.”  
“Maybe we should when J.R. goes to sleep. It’s bad enough J.R. will be dealing with that crap again, but it’s not good for Jayce to be dealing with it right now. Well, you know it would be better if neither of them dealt with this.”   
Vegeta looked at the girls. J.R. was keeping busy on the tablet, which both Hound and Vegeta wondered why now? Why did she not want to use it during the day? But they liked how she was doing something. Jayce was already asleep.  
“I’m going back. I won’t be long,” Vegeta says as he gets up.

“Jayce is already asleep?” Cade wasn’t sure if this was bad or not.  
“It’s fine, between the painkillers and how depressed she is, it’s expected at this point. It’s good for her. She’s supposed to be resting anyway. You know what I’ve been saying about the girls doing something.”  
Vegeta looked at Jamie, debating on whether or not to sit by her.  
“Something else is bothering you?” Bulma asks.  
“It’s nothing important, and we’ll find out… if Jamie recovers,” he stood next to Cade. Bulma wasn’t sure what Vegeta could be thinking about, but she brushed it off.  
Vegeta stayed for twenty minutes before deciding he had to go back.  
“How bad do you think J.R. will be?” Cade asks.  
“Very.” Bulma sighed. 

“I didn’t think you’d be that fast.”  
“I’m taking J.R. when she goes to sleep. We already know it’s likely she’ll be waking up in the middle of the night.”  
“I think she will have a hard time getting to sleep, might even try not to sleep,” Hound sighed.  
“I can’t take her out of here. She’ll refuse to and if Jayce hears her, damn it.”  
“Wait until they’re both asleep. So...should I even ask?”  
Vegeta frowned, “It’s not looking good. I had to leave.”  
Forty-five minutes pass before J.R. tries to go to sleep. As Hound expected, she had a hard time falling asleep. She falls asleep a half-hour later.  
“Maybe this is when not having as close a relationship is a good thing,” Hound says.  
“I think she knows you go to see Jamie. Crosshairs and Drift haven’t. You know what both girls are thinking.”  
“I can’t believe how rapidly they went from thinking Jamie will recover to she will die. J.R. had a theory Jayce thought was possible. Jayce left soon afterward. J.R. got more stressed being left to care for Jamie alone. Though Bulma taking over didn’t help them. You know the rest. I tried to get Crosshairs and Drift to be with Jamie more, but they ended up anxious about the girls. They saw Jamie while Jayce and J.R. have been here, but not for long.”  
Vegeta listened, hating what he was hearing and thinking about the crap everyone went through from the moment they got Jamie away from Jadin. Saying nothing, Vegeta left the room. Hound could easily guess he was going back to see Jamie and wasn’t bothered by it, nor did he find it strange that Vegeta was just with her less than an hour ago but wanted to see her again.

Bulma said nothing when Vegeta walked into the building, which concerned him a little, but he just walked by her and stood next to Cade by Jamie.  
“Back already,” Cade says.  
“I know I should be with Hound-.” Vegeta started, thinking he needed to explain why he’s back already.  
“I know. I don’t dare leave Jamie for long. Though there’s not much we can do to help Jayce and J.R., I should see them more. They need all of us to help them get through this,” he sighed, “Hound knows you’re worried about Jamie but will be back to help him.”  
“J.R. went to sleep ten minutes ago. I have a little time before either of them wake up.” Bumblebee walks in five minutes later and stands on the other side of Cade. Bulma watched the three of them, hating how she still couldn’t tell them any good news about Jamie.  
Vegeta and Cade both insisted Bulma go to bed. Both worried she was too worried about Jamie to go to bed. They didn’t blame her either. Bulma said she’d be done soon. Cade and Vegeta walked out of the building. Bumblebee’s stayed with Jamie though he knew Bulma would assume he was staying to make sure she went to bed.  
“You expect me to think you spend most of your time awake with Jamie, but go to bed, no problem?” Vegeta says once he’s sure Bulma can’t hear them.  
“I don’t; I’m worried about Jamie. I’d rather be right there with her and Bulma, but I don’t think Bulma would like that.”  
“If Jamie is a high risk of flatlining, she should understand. I better go back to help Hound.”   
Cade just walked back to his trailer. Vegeta didn’t stop him as much as he felt Cade should talk to Bulma. He just had Bulma open a portal for him.

“You could have stayed longer,” Hound says as Vegeta walks in.  
“No, sure Jayce will be asleep a little longer, we’re hoping the whole night, but I don’t think J.R. will be. If she wakes up, I’m getting her out of the room.”  
Hound agrees, knowing how upset J.R. could be. He got a syringe and gave it to Vegeta. They both wanted to help the girls without resorting to injection sedation but knew when they had to. (10:30)  
“Damn it. I had a feeling that would happen. That’s not good if this will be every night until they get back.” Hound fretted.   
“Even then, she still could have them and Jayce. The longer this shit happens, the more upset and afraid they become,” Vegeta looked at both girls who were still asleep.  
“You can go see Jamie. These two seem to wake up calm but depressed.”  
“For how long? I think it’s likely J.R. will try to run off and go to Jamie’s dimension.”  
“I’m thinking the same. Maybe not right when she wakes up, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she tries the longer they’re not here. I think we should leave Crosshairs and Drift alone, but these two need them.”  
Vegeta waited until Jayce and J R. were awake and drank a bottle of the nutrition drink Bulma made before deciding he could see Jamie.

“I’m surprised you didn’t come back sooner,” Bulma comments as Vegeta walks into the building.  
“I had to make sure the girls are fine for now. I know they could be a problem anytime, but Hound thinks they’ll be fine for now.”  
“How bad was last night?” Cade asks. As Vegeta expected, he was sitting by Jamie.  
“As we expected, Jayce woke up at eleven-thirty, but Hound took care of her. She was uncomfortable, so Hound could get her to take painkillers and lie down, she eventually went back to sleep.”  
“At least she’s easy, for now,” Bulma says.  
“I figured she was like J.R. until she got injured.”  
“How bad was J.R.?” Cade asks.   
Vegeta sighed. “She started talking in her sleep.”  
“She’s been doing that a lot, damn it. Jayce did once. It’s a way to figure out what they’re dreaming about and why they’re scared.” Bulma says.  
“I think this time she’s scared Crosshairs and Drift won’t come back. I was trying to figure out if Jamie was part of the nightmare because she can’t sense Jamie’s energy. I couldn’t get her to calm down before she ended up with a seizure. You know how she is afterward, I didn’t have to drug her.”  
“Damn it. It’s not good that we have to use drugs every night but not as bad as seizures, even if they are temporary, hopefully.”  
“Hopefully?” Vegeta asked, worried.  
“I know why they’re both getting these seizures, but I don’t know if they’ll stop if Jamie recovers, or all this will affect all three of them for a while afterward.”  
“Someone has to get Crosshairs and Drift.” Cade insists.  
“No, they know the girls need them, but if they can’t hide how terrified they are, they will not be any help to Jayce and J.R. You’ve seen how Crosshairs and Drift help them even though it’s very little. It’s the support they need. You and the Autobots have been lucky not to have watched Jamie go through a severe flare-up. Now they’ve watched her go through the worst and add that Jadin is the cause.”  
“I doubt it’ll be the only time,” Vegeta mumbled to himself. Vegeta stays twenty minutes before deciding to go back to Jayce and J.R.  
“You think he will try to find Jadin?”  
“Fourteen years ago, I would have said yes, but I know he’s too worried about Jamie and maybe worried about Jayce and J R. to go find her. I know he hates the emotional pain Jayce and J.R. are in. Honestly, Jamie is one of the few people he cares about. I’m not sure if he feels the same way about Jayce and J.R. or just hates how Jamie’s friends are hurting. Even if he was his old doesn’t care about anyone else self; it would be difficult to find Jadin.”  
‘wow’ was all Cade could say.

Vegeta goes back to training instead of to the room. He didn’t expect J.R. to want to join him a half-hour later. He figured out quickly that she was furious again, and he knew why.  
Damn it, and there’s nothing any of us can do. I know J.R. hates Crosshairs and Drift are distraught, hating they had to leave and still furious about Jadin’s return and what she did. He got her to stop training an hour later. She was still angry.  
“It’s ok. Crosshairs and Drift will be back.”   
Vegeta knew not to say anything about Jamie. Like everyone else, he would like to tell Jayce and J.R. that Jamie will be ok. He took her back to the room after she cleaned up.  
“I think J.R. is getting close to attempting to go to Jamie’s dimension. She’s angry along with distraught,” Vegeta whispered to Hound.  
“Damn it. They better come back soon. I’m not having Bulma sedate them until those two get back, and I doubt she’d want to either.”  
They watched J.R. lay in bed and use the tablet. Jayce laid in bed, facing the wall.  
“I’m going back for a while.”

Hound knew how upset Jayce and J.R. are bothered him and worried the Autobots could lose Jamie.  
Vegeta told Bulma about how J.R. has been the past couple of hours.  
“Shit. I didn’t want to disturb them, but we might have to. Let me try sending a message. I know Crosshairs sent Drift a message two days ago, but I figured there was no response because Drift was in recharge. Hopefully, one of them isn’t.”  
Bulma sent a message, but there was no response.  
“All right, time to plan for if J.R. tries to run off to Jamie’s dimension. I don’t think Jayce will. Go ahead, sit by Jamie for a while. I’ll go back with you so the three of us can try to make a plan.” Vegeta sat by Jamie, and Bulma went back to work on her laptop. Cade walks in five minutes later. Bulma tells him what Vegeta told him.  
“Great, I didn’t think either of them would even try to run off to Jamie’s dimension.”  
“It’s possible they won’t, but you know how those two have been. It’s better to plan. It will be simple.”   
Cade didn’t ask what she thought the plan should be. He just stood by Vegeta until Vegeta went back to the girls, and Hound forty-five minutes later, Bulma went with him.  
“I can not stop them once they are in the portal, you know that Bulma,” Hound says after Bulma tells him her idea of a plan.  
“I’ll go after them and get them to come back if Crosshairs and Drift are still in recharge. If we’re not back in ten minutes, Hound, get your Cybertron form and join us. Hopefully, not to help me get the girls to come back. If it’s just J.R., then stay here with Jayce.”   
Bulma and Hound agreed with the plan. Bulma wanted to check on girls before returning to Cade’s dimension even though she knew they might ask about Jamie, Crosshairs, or Drift. Neither of them said anything. Bulma wasn’t sure if she should like how they said nothing or not.  
“There’s a plan in place, and I think at least J.R. will try to go to Jamie’s dimension,” Bulma informed Cade.  
“Great, how much worse can...” he trailed off.  
Bulma said nothing.  
Duh, this can get worse. Cade thought, looking at Jamie.

As Hound and Vegeta expected, Jayce and J.R. were quiet for the afternoon. They assumed Jayce had been asleep for the past five hours.  
“How strong are those painkillers if she sleeps most of the day and night?” Hound wondered.  
“Bulma knows how often Jayce sleeps. It’s good for her. Might also be the depression adding to how she just wants to sleep. It’s possible to even J.R. sleeps most of the day,” Vegeta sighed.  
“They’re fine for now, go see Jamie.”  
Hound agreed and left the room.

Hound found Bulma and Cade standing by Jamie. He knew they were watching Jamie closely but worried she was showing signs of getting worse. He stayed out of the way.  
Come on, Jamie. Please don’t flatline on us again.  
Bumblebee, using his holoform, comes in five minutes later and stands next to Hound.  
“I don’t know what’s going on, Bee, but they’ve both been standing by her for at least five minutes, that worries me,” Hound whispers.  
They just watched, hoping either Bulma or Cade would tell them what’s going on though they had a feeling they knew what was going on.

“Crosshairs?” Drift tries to wake Crosshairs. Crosshairs wakes up and sits on the edge of the bed. Drift sits next to him, “how long have you been here?”  
“Two days. Wasn’t my plan to slip into recharge right away. Have you been in recharge since you came here five days ago?”  
“No, only a day before you came.”  
“Did you think you could stay in recharge until this was over?”  
“No way we can stay in recharge for weeks. I know Jayce and J.R. need us-. “  
“I know it wasn’t easy to leave Jayce and J.R.,” Crosshairs sighed, “all three girls aren’t doing good, I debated leaving, but both Hound and Vegeta insisted I take a break.”  
“I’m amazed you left knowing Vegeta would be near then.”  
“He hates how bad this has effected Jayce and J.R. He’s seen how Bad Jamie is. Besides, I think even if Hound had to take care of Jayce and J.R. himself, he would.”   
Drift waited five minutes before asking how the girls were before Crosshairs left. Crosshairs told Drift how bad Jayce and J.R. have been since Drift left and how he saw Jamie before coming here. He knew Drift hated hearing it. Crosshairs left out how Bulma was considering letting Jamie go.  
“Damn it. Even with you being there. How much more distraught are they with both of us not there?”  
“I know, but they wouldn’t like seeing us upset. We needed the recharge anyway as much as I didn’t want to leave, and I know you didn’t want to leave either.”  
“Damn it,” Drift says as he picks up the picture off the floor. Neither of them said anything for fifteen minutes.  
“Come on,” Drift says as he gets up and puts the picture on the bed, “let’s go see Jamie.”  
“You sure?”  
“Not really,” Drift sighed. Crosshairs knew Drift wanted to see Jamie but was afraid to see how bad she was doing. Crosshairs felt the same way.  
“All right, let’s go,” Crosshairs says. Drift opens a portal; they deactivate their holoforms and walk through the portal. They walked right to the building when they got to Cade’s dimension.

“No.” Drift cries.  
Fuck not again. Come on, Jamie. Don’t give up on her, Bulma.  
They watch for thirty seconds before Crosshairs tells Drift they should leave. He had to push Drift to get him to move as Drift focused on Jamie.   
No, no, no. Don’t leave me, Jamie.   
Bumblebee catches them walk away. He gets Hound’s attention, and both watch as Crosshairs and Drift walk into the portal. “Fuck. Terrible timing. Come on, Jamie.”  
Both Bumblebee and Hound watch, hoping Cade and Bulma are successful.   
Crosshairs and Drift sat quietly. Both hoping Bulma and Cade could revive Jamie, worried they’d be unsuccessful. Crosshairs also worried Bulma would give up on Jamie even if she was resuscitated.


	34. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bulma is uncertain what to do after getting Jamie back for the third time. Cade suggests doing the test as planned. She sets the test up as Hound tells Cade Crosshairs and Drift came back. The three think Crosshairs and Drift will stay away from Jayce and J.R. longer. Vegeta finds out what happened and is very concerned. The next day, J.R. hates how ZCrosshairs and Drift haven't come back and carries Jayce to Bulma's lab to open a portal. Crosshairs and Drift aren't happy J.R. brought Jayce seeing how uncomfortable she is, nor does Crosshairs like J.R. hasn't been sleeping great since he left. Once the girls are in their rooms, Vegeta insists Bulma tell Crosshairs and Drift the plan, which upsets her, and she returns to Cade's dimension. Vegeta tells Crosshairsd and Drift. Neither liking the idea, but this bothers Drift more.

“Damn it. I..I don’t know...”  
“Do the test like you planned, Bulma,” Cade suggested.  
Jamie has been lucky to be revived quickly but three times, and she can only fight the chemical for a week before flatlining. We’re running out of options and time.  
“All right. I want to measure brain activity for two days. I just don’t feel like a few hours is enough,” Bulma spoke in a sad tone. Cade, Bumblebee, and Hound left the building as Bulma sets up the test.   
“Not good. If Jamie is only strong enough to fight for a week.” Cade starts.   
“You thinking what Bulma has been thinking?” Hound asks, worried.  
“I don’t know.”  
“They came back,” Hound sighed.   
Cade knew Hound meant Crosshairs and Drift.  
“Fuck, I doubt they’ll be going back to Bulma’a dimension soon. Hoping neither of the girls tries to run off to Jamie’s dimension. Hopefully, the test Bulma’a doing will give us good news, but even if it’s good...”   
The three of them walked back into the building and walked towards Bulma.   
“I’m not sure what I will do after the test. Unless Jamie somehow gets strength...”  
Bulma let herself cry. Cade walked up to her and hugged her. Neither Bumblebee, Cade, or Hound knew what to say.  
Crosshairs looked to see if there was a message about Jamie. He found the message Bulma sent earlier. Drift was standing next to him.  
“Crap. Bulma and Vegeta think J.R. will attempt to come here.”  
“I wouldn’t be surprised if she does. We have to go back.”  
“Tomorrow. Jayce and J.R. should be asleep soon anyway.”   
Crosshairs knew Drift is still terrified after seeing Jamie flatline again; he is the same way. 

“You better go back, Hound,” Cade suggested. Hound hesitated even though there was nothing he could do if Jamie flatlined again.  
“She’ll be ok; you better go before either of the girls give Vegeta a hard time.”   
Hound agreed and left.

Hound walks into the room, relieved Jayce and J.R. are quiet. Jayce looked at him, disappointed neither Crosshairs nor Drift is with him.  
Crap. Hound thought, expecting Jayce to get upset.  
Damn it, Crosshairs and Drift are not coming back. She thought, trying not to cry.  
Vegeta noticed Hound came back. He walked up to him.  
“Let’s go out in the hallway,” Hound says before Vegeta could say anything.

“What happened?” Vegeta asked as Hound looked through the window on the door, making sure the girls didn’t get upset. Vegeta knew it was one of two things. Hound told him everything that happened.  
“Fuck.”  
“Go ahead.”  
“No, I’m waiting until Jayce and J.R. are asleep. I doubt Bulma will be asleep by then.”

By nine P.M., Jayce is asleep, but J.R. isn’t.  
“Damn it, and Jayce would also most likely have a hard time getting to sleep if she didn’t have the painkillers. I can handle J.R., go ahead,” Hound whispered. Vegeta hesitated but agreed and left the room.

Vegeta knew Bulma and Cade would be by Jamie. He stood on the other side of Bulma. They stood quietly for five minutes.  
“I don’t know what I will do regardless of the test outcome,” Bulma finally said. Both Cade and Vegeta didn’t know what to say. Bulma walked out of the building.  
“Shit, not good.”  
“I have an idea, but it’ll be useless if the test shows a poor outcome.”  
“Bulma already told you-.”  
“No, I will give Jamie some of my energy. I don’t know if it’ll help, but what else can we do?”  
“So, you will make yourself sick to try to help Jamie? And if it doesn’t work?”  
“No, I’ll be fine. Jamie will get some strength to fight, or nothing will happen. Won’t know until I try. Not like we can try J.R.’s theory again. We’re out of options. As far as I know, Bulma isn’t trying to develop something that can help Jamie, at least not in her lab.”  
“And even if she is developing something, it’s dangerous to test it on Jamie right now,” Cade sighed.  
“Did you talk to her?” Vegeta asks, knowing Cade would be too worried about Jamie to go to bed.  
“No.”  
“I know you’re too worried about Jamie to go to bed, no problem. I’d like to stay here because I’m worried about Jamie, but even with Jayce on painkillers, I don’t think I can leave Hound alone with both girls. As it is, I left before both of them were asleep.”   
“Hound knows how bad J.R. can be. He wouldn’t tell you to come here if he didn’t think he could handle her.”   
The two of them just stood by Jamie until Bulma came back fifteen minutes later.  
“You’re still here? She’s stable for now. We’re back to just watching and monitoring her for the next couple of days-.”  
“I know Bulma. I can’t leave her right now.”  
“Hound is aware Vegeta could be here for a few hours. I don’t think any of us want to be away from Jamie, but we’re all also worried about Jayce and J.R., who can’t be here either.”  
“This just keeps getting worse,” Bulma sighed and walked back out of the building.  
“I’m worried she’s worried Crosshairs and Drift are abandoning the girls. She knows how hard this is for them, and they know Jayce and J.R. need them. She doesn’t know that they know what happened tonight. Bad idea to tell her.”  
“You going to talk to her?”  
“No, I don’t think it’ll be a good idea to tell her I’m worried about Jamie-.”  
“So, you will choose not being able to sleep?”  
“What?” Bulma asks as she comes back into the building with Bumblebee.  
“Great,” Cade says as he slid his hand down his face.   
“He’s worried about Jamie and doesn’t want to be away from her,” Vegeta told Bulma; Cade looked at him in disgust, “I suggested that he ask you to let him sleep in here. There’s plenty of room.”  
Bulma wasn’t sure what to say. She was more surprised that Vegeta suggested that Cade sleeps in the building than that Cade is really worried about Jamie. She agreed to let him sleep in the building. The four of them stood by Jamie for the next fifteen minutes until Vegeta decided he had to go back, worried J.R. isn’t asleep yet.   
“Is Vegeta ok with you sleeping in the building? It’s unusual for him to suggest that”  
“Yes, he did. I didn’t want you to know that I’m worried about Jamie.”  
“You didn’t think I knew already?” 

Vegeta walks into the room, thinking both girls are asleep. Hound tells him J.R. isn’t asleep yet and will not be using the syringe.  
“I know she could end up not going to sleep at all, but you know we hate using the sedation drugs. Hopefully, she’ll fall asleep soon. I’m surprised you’re back already.”  
“It’s late, Bulma and Cade need to sleep. They can’t care for Jamie while being tired.”  
Hound didn’t even bother to tell Vegeta he could go to bed instead of sleeping on the floor.

“Cade, have you been up all night?” Bulma asks as she sees Cade sitting by Jamie.  
“No, got up a half-hour ago.”   
Bulma noticed Bumblebee was next to him. She assumed he has been by Jamie all night.  
Bulma took care of Jamie a half-hour later. Cade and Bumblebee have been watching her as she took care of Jamie the past week. Cade pays close attention though he knows he can’t take over for Bulma. Bulma doesn’t take the time to teach him since he insisted that she wait until Jamie wasn’t critical.   
“Have you been here all night, Bee?” She asks when she’s finished, Bumblebee nods.  
Damn, if Jayce and J.R. were ok, I think we’d all be around here, afraid to be away from Jamie at this point.

Seven-thirty, J.R. has been up all night.  
Damn it; I can’t believe she’s been up all night. Is she having a hard time getting to sleep or waiting for them to come back? Hound wondered.   
“She’s up early,” Vegeta says, looking at J.R.  
“She’s been up all night.”  
“What? Damn it.”   
Both worried that the girls were refusing to drink the nutrition drink Bulma made for them. They thought the only reason Jayce was asleep was because of the painkillers. Hound insisted on Vegeta getting something to eat and told him he could see Jamie for a while. Vegeta left to get something to eat but came back a half-hour later. He knew Hound would tell him he didn’t have to rush, but Vegeta wanted to. Though J.R. is exhausted and didn’t look like she would run off, Vegeta didn’t want to take the chance.

Crosshairs and Drift spent the night on the roof of Jamie’s base. Crosshairs wasn’t surprised that Drift changed his mind and didn’t want to see Jamie. He felt the same way, as far as they knew, Jayce and J.R. were still asleep. The two mechs sat in Jamie’s room. Drift picks up the picture before sitting on the bed. Crosshairs knew Drift is still upset about seeing Jamie flatline again last night since he also is still upset. He knew Drift knew that they needed to get back to Jayce and J.R., but neither of them are in a hurry. They looked at the picture, not sure what to do.

Jayce woke up an hour later. Hound, J.R., and Vegeta watched her sit up and sit on the edge of the bed. It was clear the painkillers wore off.  
“She’s tired of the headache and dizziness,” Vegeta whispered.  
“Nine days of that and possibly a couple more weeks,” Hound whispered. J.R. got off the bed and walked towards Jayce.  
“Come on, let’s go,” she whispered.  
“What? Where?”  
“You know, come on.”  
“No, I-,” Jayce couldn’t say anything more before J.R. picked her up and ran out the door.  
“Shit,” Hound and Vegeta got up and ran after them, “I can not stop them once they enter the portal, you know the plan.”   
Hound ran to get his Cybertronian form.  
Damn it, J.R., do you realize how much worse you’re making Jayce? Vegeta is concerned about Jayce. He knew she was trying to tell J.R. that she had to lie down and possibly wanted to leave Crosshairs and Drift alone.

After sitting in Jamie’s room and looking at the picture for ten minutes, Crosshairs and Drift left the room and headed down the stairs. They heard the portal open.  
“Shit,” they both said as they ran to where the portal opened. J.R. tripped as she ran out of the portal and dropped Jayce.  
Shit, what the fuck is she thinking? Crosshairs wondered as he and Drift walked to them. J.R. Got up and ran to Crosshairs. Jayce didn’t move. Drift knelt beside her.  
“Jayce?” He says as Vegeta walks out of the portal.  
Shit. Vegeta walks up to Jayce. Drift and Vegeta helped Jayce up. As they helped her up, she vomited. Crosshairs watched while hugging J.R., angry at what she did and worried she made Jayce’s condition worse. When she stopped vomiting, Drift picked Jayce up, carried her to the couch, and laid her down on the couch. Crosshairs brought J.R. to the ouch. She sat next to him and leaned on him.  
“Go get Bulma,” Drift instructed Vegeta. Vegeta did as Drift asked. Drift looked at how uncomfortable Jayce was before going to clean up the mess.  
What the hell was J.R. thinking? Jayce doesn’t look good.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Bulma snapped at J.R. twenty minutes later.  
“Bulma don’t,” Drift tells her. She checks on Jayce, who didn’t want to move.  
“Do it, Bulma,” Drift says before she could say anything. Bulma, Crosshairs, and Vegeta knew what he meant. She had a sedation syringe and injected it into Jayce.  
“What the hell happened?” Hound asked as he stood next to Vegeta, looking at Jayce.  
“Jayce, besides the headache, she’s dizzy and nauseous, and she doesn’t want to move. She’ll be asleep for a while.” Bulma explained to him.   
Hound figured Bulma used the syringe on her. Drift took Jayce to her room.  
“Glad Jamie wanted to have a space for her friends. However, I didn’t think Jayce and J.R. had rooms here,” Bulma comments.  
“Why is J.R. exhausted?” Crosshairs asks. Hound and Vegeta, looking at J.R. fighting sleep. They tell him how she didn’t sleep at all last night and how she grabbed Jayce and ran out of the room to Jamie’s dimension.  
Damn it, J.R., even if Jayce wanted Drift, that wasn’t a good idea to make her come here.  
As Crosshairs expected, J.R. let him lay her down on the couch. She couldn’t stay awake for longer than five minutes.  
“I’m not sure if putting her in her room is a good idea,” Crosshairs says.  
“She wanted us; I doubt she’ll try to run off. It’ll be better than the couch.”  
Crosshairs carried her to her room.  
Hound, now using his holoform, sat on the couch with the others.   
“This is a disaster,” Crosshairs says.  
“They were ok until this morning. Well, you know what I mean. Jayce and J.R. didn’t like both of you left, but you guys know they didn’t do much when you were with them,” Hounds tells them.  
“Except yesterday, J.R. seemed to be angry and wanted to train with me, anger training again.”  
“I guess that’s better than keeping emotions bottled up.”  
“I don’t know if that’s a good thing. She’s turning how upset she is into anger. I’m going back to Cade’s dimension.”  
“Wait, Bulma, what about-,” Vegeta started.  
“No, I can’t,” she ran off to open a portal. Vegeta tried to stop her, but Crosshairs stopped him.  
“You know what’s going on?” Crosshairs asks a few minutes later.  
“Yes, I know why she doesn’t want to say anything,” Vegeta said in a sad tone. Not realizing he just made Crosshairs and Drift anxious about what he has to say.  
“Tell us,” Drift requests.  
If Bulma didn’t want to tell us, then this is bad. Why make yourself more upset, Drift? Crosshairs wonders.  
“Bulma’s doing a test to see if..” Vegeta had a hard time finishing his sentence, “to see if Jamie has any brain damage. She will do the test for two days, but she’s not sure what to do even if there are good results.”  
“Damn it,” Drift sighed and walked away. Crosshairs and Vegeta watched him go up the stairs. Crosshairs wanted to follow him but knew Drift needed to be alone.  
“Are you ok?” Vegeta asks.  
“No,” Crosshairs sighed, “do you know why he’s more distraught than Hound or me? I didn’t tell him how concerned Bulma is about Jamie, how she’s debating letting Jamie go. What Bulma told me about the last severe flare-up or when you tried to kill her.”  
Crosshairs went to see if Drift was with Jayce or in Jamie’s room.  
“Oh yeah, he’s not as upset as Drift,” Hound says as he watches Crosshairs, “he’s just trying to hide how he feels.”  
“And he’s trying to keep J.R. from doing that?”  
“He’s not as bad as her. You should know, he’s shown you how angry he was at what you did and being with the girls.”  
Unbelievable, I hope I’m wrong. Hopefully, this is the only time they deal with this shit.

As Crosshairs expected, Drift was in Jamie’s room, sitting in the bed and looking at the photo.  
“Why are you even looking at the photo? You’re already terrified, and that upsets you more,” Crosshairs says as he sits next to Drift, “don’t tell me you’re giving up?”  
Crosshairs waited five minutes before leaving the room, unsure whether he should take Drift’s silence as yes or still wasn’t sure. Crosshairs knew Drift is terrified; everyone is. 

“What the hell? Bulma?!” Cade watched Bulma run past the building. Bumblebee was sitting on the cars as he watched her run past him.  
“Shit, Jamie’s stable for now. I will see what’s going on in Jamie’s dimension. Watch her, Bee.”   
Cade knew how to open a portal without Bulma’s help.

“What the..?” Hound says as they hear a portal open, “Cade?”  
“What’s going on? Bulma came back but ran past Bumblebee and me.”  
“I thought she wanted to tell Crosshairs and Drift about Jamie. I told them anyway.”  
“That explains it, Bulma knows they’ll be upset.”  
“Drift asked me to tell them then walked away.”  
“Damn it. So how bad is Jayce?”  
“And J.R. Jayce is very dizzy and nauseous. Drift wanted Bulma to use the sedation syringe. J.R. didn’t sleep at all last night. She fell asleep five minutes after Crosshairs laid her on the couch. They’ve been sleeping for forty-five minutes now.”  
“Damn it; I hope J.R. not being able to sleep isn’t something new she’ll be dealing with.”  
“I doubt it, but I hope not,” Crosshairs says as he walks towards them, “how bad is Jamie, Cade?  
“You want to see her?”   
Crosshairs wasn’t surprised that Hound insisted that he see Jamie. Crosshairs worried about J.R., but both Hound and Vegeta told him they could handle her, so he agreed to see Jamie.  
“I doubt he’ll be long, and even if he stays there for a while, J.R. will be asleep for a while,” Hound says.

“She’s stable...for now,” Cade tells Crosshairs as they walk into the building. He explains to Crosshairss the test Bulma is doing. He wanted to find Bulma, but Crosshairs told him not to. Cade and Bumblebee leave Crosshairs alone.  
What can we even do at this point? She’s not strong enough to fight this. Crosshairs looked at the monitor, wondering how long it will be before Jamie declines again? Sure she’s stable, but her vitals weren’t good.   
Drift quietly joins Crosshairs ten minutes later. Bulma, Bumblebee, and Cade walk in ten minutes later. Bumblebee sits next to Drift.   
“You told them?” Bulma asks angrily.  
“No, Vegeta Did, they asked. They know it’ll be some time before Jamie shows significant signs of improving, but they still want to know what’s going on with her.”   
“Then they know...” she trailed off, letting tears roll down her face. Crosshairs got up and got Bulma to walk out of the building with him. Drift watched, not sure if he should join them or not. He was sure Crosshairs would have told him to come with them, so he stayed with Jamie.  
“Drift doesn’t know you’ve been thinking about letting Jamie go. Though I think he’s debating whether that’s what we should do, I know he would hate it that you’re thinking about it. He knows you’re not sure what to do, even if the test shows good results. I don’t know what he’d want to do.”  
“What about you?”  
“I don’t know either. All I know is that none of us want to give up and let Jamie go, but we also know that we’re out of options.” Crosshairs walks back into the building and sits next to Drift. Bulma watches for a minute before walking away. 

Why am I here? J.R. wonders, realizing she’s in her room in Jamie’s dimension. Oh no, did Jamie not survive? And I still remember the Autobots from that dimension and Cade.   
J.R. was still tired; she laid in bed and let herself cry.

“I’m surprised J.R. has been sleeping for three and a half hours. Jayce will be for a while,” Hound comments. Vegeta gets up to check on both of the girls. Sure enough, both girls are still asleep.   
“Really would have liked it if they had something before J.R. ran off. Jayce is going to wake up very uncomfortable even to move. I will see if Bulma can do something about that.”  
Vegeta found everyone near Jamie.  
“Is something wrong?” He asks.  
“No,” Bulma says, “something wrong over there?”  
“Not yet, but Jayce will be very uncomfortable when she wakes up, and neither of the girls had anything today.”  
“What? They have had nothing today?” Crosshairs asks, worried. Everyone watched him get up, expecting him to yell at Vegeta.  
“We couldn’t do anything before J.R. picked up Jayce and ran out. You know the rest.”  
“What the hell was she thinking? She made Jayce feel worse than usual, and now they have had nothing all day.”  
“She wanted both of you and knew Jayce also wanted you two, but she’s too uncomfortable even to run to Bulma’s lab. I know both of you are thinking I should have gotten either of you, but if you two can’t hide how upset you are.”  
Crosshairs walks up to Vegeta.  
“You’re right, Drift wanted to go back to the girls, but we were both upset,” Crosshairs whispered, “Drift wanted to see Jamie after we both saw Jamie had flstlined again last night. I’m not telling Bulma. Neither of us were any better this morning until J R. came running in with Jayce. I don’t know if we would have gone back,” Crosshairs sighed and looked at Drift.  
“They’ll be asleep for a while,” Vegeta says before they walk back up to Jamie. Ten minutes later, Bulma works on a syringe to help Jayce.  
“This should kick in within ten minutes,” she says as she hands the syringe to Vegeta. Though Jayce will most be asleep for another two to three hours, Vegeta wanted to get back to help Hound if J.R. wakes up. He tells Bulma not to rush Crosshairs and Drift. 

“I have something to help Jayce fast. I told Bulma not to rush Crosshairs and Drift, sorry.”  
“That’s fine, though at least J.R. will be upset they’re not here. I know if Crosshairs and Drift can’t hide upset they are, then the girls will be more upset than they’ll be if Crosshairs and Drift aren’t here.”  
“You think either of them would be upset enough to trigger a seizure?”  
“Shit. I don’t know. This nightmare just keeps getting worse.”  
“You want to go see Jamie or recharge?”  
“Yeah, I’ll see Jamie for a while,” Hound says as he gets up. Vegeta knew he could be wrong about the girls still being asleep for a while or at least J.R., but he knew he could handle her.

Hound sees Bulma on her laptop and the others by Jamie; he stands next to Crosshairs. Before Crosshairs or Drift could ask, Hound tells them the girls are fine, and Vegeta thinks he can handle them if either of them wakes up.


	35. A New Problem and A Little Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not seeing the Autobots around now leads J.R. to think Jamie died, and Bulma was wrong; all memories aren't erased. She becomes very upset, resulting in a pseudo seizure. Crosshairs and Drift hate how upset J.R. was while they were gone for a few hours. Bulma and Cade hate hearing what happened; everyone hates the poor mental state Jayce and J.R. are in, but they can't believe Drift is thinking they should let Jamie go. They know he hates watching his girl fight for her life, but they're pissed he wants to give up. Vegeta finally tells Bulma his idea to help Jamie. Though she's not sure if it'll work, she agrees to try it if they get good results from the test she's doing. Bulma didn't want to tell Crosshairs and Drift, but they figured out she's not telling them something.

J.R. still feels tired but rested enough to get out of bed. She peeks into Jayce’s room but doesn’t wake her up. She knew Bulma or Drift had drugged Jayce for her to sleep. J.R. is halfway down the stairs when she sees only Vegeta.  
Oh no.  
She walks down the rest of the stairs and walks up to him. Vegeta worried she’d get upset as he tried to get her to drink a bottle of the nutrition drink.  
Damn it, I told Bulma not to rush them, but Crosshairs needs to get back here soon.  
“Jamie didn’t survive?” J.R. asks before bawling.  
Shit. I don’t understand how J.R. thinks this even though she saw the Autobots four hours ago; she’s in a terrible mental state. Vefeta frets as he hugs J.R.  
After five minutes of bawling, J.R. ended up in a seizure. Crosshairs and Drift return seconds after a seizure starts.  
Shit. Crosshairs activated his holoform. Drift activates his holoform and goes to check on Jayce.   
J.R. is out of the seizure a minute later, looks at Crosshairs; tears roll down her face. Crosshairs took her from Vegeta, moved to the couch, and held her with her head resting on his shoulder.  
What the hell is going through your mind today? Crosshairs wondered.  
He knew he couldn’t ask Vegeta yet. Vegeta sat on the couch but kept his distance from Crosshairs.  
You don’t want to know what started this.

Drift comes down, asks Crosshairs if J.R. is ok before asking Vegeta for the syringe Bulma made for Jayce. He took it and a bottle of the nutrition drink. Both Crosshairs and Vegeta wondered if he would wake Jayce.

Drift sat on the chair by Jayce’s desk. He wanted to wake her, knowing how long it’s been since she drank a nutrition drink but knew it’s good to let her sleep.  
This is a disaster. I don’t want to give up, but Jamie isn’t strong enough to fight. Jayce and J.R. aren’t doing good. I don’t want to lose her, but I worry either Jayce or J.R. may resort to suicide.  
Drift put the syringe and bottle on the desk, left the room, and went out to the balcony. While the balcony is on the second floor, Crosshairs can watch Drift go out to the balcony. It’s an odd design choice by Jamie.   
“Take her,” Crosshairs insisted. Vegeta sat next to Crosshairs so he could move J.R. on to his lap. Crosshairs assured J.R. he’d be back.

Crosshairs wasn’t sure if he should say anything to Drift; he just stood next to him.  
“What happened with J.R.?” Drift asks.  
“I don’t know. I’m waiting until J.R. is asleep to ask, but I have an idea about what happened.”  
“This is a disaster.”  
Both of them are anxious about all three girls. They knew the others also are. Hound and Vegeta are helping the best they can. Bulma is becoming very stressed like Jayce, but there is no one to take care of Jamie, so Bulma can take a break. Crosshairs and Drift suspected Cade is mad at himself for not learning how to care for Jamie, though it isn’t safe for him to learn how to while she’s critical.   
Drift went back to Jayce’s room fifteen minutes later, Crosshairs followed him. Jayce wakes up ten minutes later. As Crosshairs and Drift expected, she was very uncomfortable.  
Damn it; she still needs drugs to not feel like shit. Crosshairs thought as he gave Drift the syringe. Jayce felt better within five minutes, so she could sit up and drink the nutrition drink. Drift knew Jayce would want him to hold her. They both watched the tears roll down her face. Crosshairs left the room and took J.R. from Vegeta. She was still quiet, though Crosshairs thought she’d be asleep.  
What a fucking nightmare. Vegeta goes to Jamie’s room, sits on the bed, and looks at the photo on the end table.

“She’s stable; I’m going to check on the girls,”  
Bulma tells Cade. She knew he still didn’t like her leaving Jamie for long. Hound goes back with her.

“What happened?” Bulma asks, looking at J.R. Crosshairs tells her how J.R. had a seizure, but he didn’t know what happened before that. Hearing J.R. had a seizure and how she’s been quiet for the past ninety minutes concerned Bulma. Crosshairs told her Jayce woke up and had a bottle of the nutrition drink before wanting Drift to hold her. Bulma knew Jayce was ok, so she sat next to Crosshairs and looked over J.R. 

Vegeta came down the stairs fifteen minutes later. Bulma rushed to him so they can go to talk about what happened with J.R. Though Vegeta wanted to wait until he could tell Crosshairs and Drift. Bulma is shocked at what caused the seizure.  
That’s how bad her mental state is, and with those two having a hard time hiding how upset they are, I don’t know what we can do. Bulma fretted.   
Bulma tells Vegeta they must wait until he can tell Crosshairs and Drift what happened. She tells him to get her when the girls are asleep before leaving. Crosshairs watched her leave, trying not to worry that Jamie was declining already.

Cade hated hearing that J.R. had a seizure and what caused it.  
This is a disaster. J.R.’s mental state is declining, and I think Jayce would be the same way if she didn’t take painkillers to deal with post-concussion syndrome.  
“What are you going to do?” He asks.  
“You know there’s nothing we can do. I don’t know what we will do if Drift and Crosshairs stay away from them for a while longer,” Bulma replied.

Are you this upset I left? Crosshairs wondered, since J.R. still didn’t want to let go, though he knew she most likely wouldn’t do anything besides lay on the couch. Drift brought Jayce down and sat on the couch, leaving little space between him and Crosshairs. They both looked at each other, knowing they need to figure out what to do about this. Hound and Vegeta tried to get the girls to let go so the two mechs can see Jamie, but Crosshairs and Drift insisted on waiting until the girls went to sleep. Hound waited until Vegeta could talk to Crosshairs and Drift to find out what happened. He and Vegeta decided to see Jamie.

“.... I’d rather hear Crosshairs complain he’s bored then watch all this shit happen,” Hound finished telling Bulma and Cade about the girls. Though she didn’t understand why Crosshairs would complain that he’s bored, Bulma knew anything was better than this situation.  
“I can’t believe how bad Jayce and J.R. have gotten mentally,” Cade says.  
“It’s hard to say if this is how they respond to shit like this or because Jadin is the one who caused this situation. There’s nothing we can do but make sure they’re not neglecting or harming themselves, which is difficult.”  
“Have you been here all day, Bee? Hound asks as he and Vegeta join him and Cade by Jamie. Bee nods yes.  
We’re all too afraid to leave her, but we can’t bring Jayce and J.R. here. I know Crosshairs and Drift want to be with Jamie. Bulma watched the others by Jamie for a minute before returning to her work.

Two hours pass before Hound goes back to Jamie’s dimension, but he leaves. His quick return alarms the others. They worried something was wrong. Hound explained to them he found the girls, Crosshairs, and Drift sleeping on the couch.   
They agreed to leave them alone for a few hours.

Jayce woke up a half-hour later. She didn’t expect to see Crosshairs and Drift asleep, but figured J.R. would be asleep, though not on the couch.  
No surprise, I’m still dealing with this fucking headache and feeling dizzy. I’m tired of this shit.  
She tried to get up and go to her room, but she ended up tripping over Drift’s feet, which woke him up. He watched the tears roll down Jayce’s face as she tried to stand up. Drift got up and picked her up. Jayce is too uncomfortable to fight him. He took her to her room and laid her on the bed. Drift hated what Jayce told him as she cried. He didn’t want to leave her alone, but he had to get the painkillers and water. By now, Crosshairs is awake, watching Drift get painkillers and water.  
She’s still dealing with headaches and dizziness. Damn it.  
Crosshairs wanted to talk to Drift but didn’t want to leave J.R.

A half-hour later, Jayce and J.R. want to watch T.V. while drinking the nutrition drink. Crosshairs and Drift were happy to see the girls wanted to do something, though they wondered why now? It was a good time to have Bulma, Hound, and Vegeta come back and talk about J.R. though they didn’t expect Bumblebee and Cade to come. They knew Bulma wouldn’t let Cade come if she didn’t think Jamie would be fine, but knowing how she can decline, they worried about how no one was watching her.  
“Come on, you know I wouldn’t leave her if she wasn’t stable enough. She’s ok for now,” Bulma says, knowing Crosshairs and Drift worry about Jamie.“Look, if you’d rather, I’ll go back. I already know what happened,” Cade jumps in.  
“If Bulma thinks it’s fine, then it’s fine,” Drift says.  
They stood far enough so the girls couldn’t hear them but close enough to still see them.  
As Vegeta expected, Crosshairs and Drift hated hearing what caused the emotional seizure this time, just like Bulma, Bumblebee, and Cade.  
“Damn it, J.R. is worse than I thought, and Jayce might be like her if she wasn’t dealing with other crap,” Crosshairs says, watching the girls.  
“I told you, the longer this crap goes on, the more terrified they become,” Drift says.  
“I think we all are,” Hound says.  
Bumblebee points to the girls, and they see Jayce go back to her room.  
“She’s fine; the light from the T.V. is most likely bothering her,” Bulma assures everyone.  
Drift listens quietly, thinking about what he was just told.  
“Drift?” Crosshairs gets his attention. “What are you thinking?”  
Everyone looks at him. Drift sighed after a minute of thinking. He had a hard time telling everyone that maybe it’s time to end this, even though it’s the way none of them want.  
“No, Drift, I don’t think you mean it,” Crosshairs says, trying not to be angry at him.  
“You fucking bastard!” Vegeta is in Drift’s face, “do you think Jamie would give up no matter how injured you were!? No, she’d refuse to give up!” Vegeta yelled. Everyone watches, waiting for a fight to break out and worried J.R. can hear them. Drift just walks upstairs, out to the balcony. Everyone still worried now Crosshairs would start an argument with Vegeta. They went distracted and didn’t know J.R. heard everything. She ran to her room.  
“I’m sorry, but I had to.”  
“I was about to say the same thing to him. I know it’s hard for him to watch the three girls struggle; it’s hard for all of us.”  
“I hate - to interrupt,” Bumblebee jumps in and points to where everyone thought J.R. was.  
“Shit, she heard us, not good,” Bulma says and runs up the stairs; crosshairs activates his holoform and follows her.  
“Great, I get why Drift wants to end this, even if it’s not the way we want. Jayce and J.R. are struggling mentally and emotionally, and it’s causing serious effects on them. Still, I wouldn’t give up on Jamie,” Cade looks at Vegeta, “I didn’t tell her about your idea. I think she’d say it’s pointless even though she’s not done with the test or knows what to do afterward.”  
Bulma comes down the stairs ten minutes later.  
“This is the third time this has happened. Damn it, it’s not good for J.R. to deal with this, but it’s a challenge to prevent this from happening. Jayce is asleep. I’m staying here for a while to make sure J.R. wakes up and is ok.”  
“I’m going back,” Cade says as he walks away. Bumblebee and Vegeta go with him. 

Drift comes in twenty minutes later but doesn’t bother asking what’s going on before finding Crosshairs. He looks in J.R.’s room and hates what he sees.  
Shit, she heard Vegeta.   
He wasn’t sure if he should go into the room or not, but he is worried about J.R.

A half-hour passes before J.R. wakes up.  
Good, not as long as the last two times, but this is still unusual.  
Crosshairs sat on the bed and held J.R., who is quiet; crosshairs worried she is thinking about what she heard Vegeta say.  
He took her downstairs so Bulma could make sure she was ok. Hound tells Crosshairs that Drift went back to Cade’s dimension. Bulma left as soon as she was sure J.R. was ok.  
I can’t leave her even if Hound is here.

“I didn’t know you came back here,” Bulma says to Drift as she walks into the building. It’s no surprise that Bumblebee, Cade, Drift, and Vegeta were standing by Jamie. Bulma sits at the table and resumes her work. Drift looks over, wondering what she has been working on before looking at Jamie again. Vegeta looked at Drift, wondering how long will he stay.  
I should have told him my plan, but if the test doesn’t show the desired results.

Jayce went back downstairs fifteen minutes later but didn’t like that Drift was not around, though she knew he was back in Cade’s dimension.  
I want him to be with Jamie, but I also want him here.  
She sat on the other side of Crosshairs. Hound turned the T.V. on. The Autobots have spent enough time with the girls in Jamie’s dimension to know what they like to watch. He knew Jayce wouldn’t watch T.V. for long.

A half-hour passed before Drift steps away from Jamie and leaves the building. Bulma follows him. He walks to the back of the property and slid down the fence to the ground. Bulma sat next to him, unsure what to say.  
“I don’t think you want to let Jamie go,” she finally said after five minutes of silence.  
“No,” Drift says in a sad tone, “you see how much Jayce and J.R. are struggling mentally and emotionally. I’m tired of watching all three of them struggle. We’re out of options, even if the test shows the desired results. She’s not strong enough to fight this. I can’t take her flatlining again.”  
“And you know Vegeta is right; Jamie wouldn’t give up if you or anyone else had severe injuries or hanging by a thread. Though this is different because there’s not much I can do to help her, I’m not giving up on Jamie.”  
Drift said nothing; Bulma waited five minutes before leaving him alone.

Bulma returns to the building and her work. Vegeta waits five minutes before walking up to the table.  
“I have an idea on how we can help Jamie.”  
“I already told you-.”  
“I know, I thought maybe if I gave her some of my energy, she could have the strength to fight this, or nothing will happen.”  
Bulma thought about what Vegeta said.  
“That might work. Does anyone else know?”  
“Bumblebee, Cade, and Hound. I wasn’t sure if I should tell Crosshairs and Drift.”  
“I don’t think it would matter if you told them now or after the test.”  
Vegeta went back to Jamie.

Crosshairs joined them an hour later. He was expecting to find Drift with them.  
“Did he drive off again?” Crosshairs asks Bulma fifteen minutes later.  
“I don’t think so. Drift should be at the back of the property,” Bulma tells him. Crosshairs walks out of the building to find Drift.

Good, he didn’t drive off. Crosshairs sat next to Drift but said nothing. Drift knew Crosshairs was here because the girls were asleep.  
“J.R. went to sleep, no problem, though it most likely means she’s exhausted and might wake up in the middle of the night. They wanted to watch T.V., which is strange but good. Jayce didn’t watch T.V. for long. I think the light bothered her. She had no problem going to sleep.”  
Drift was happy the girls are doing something, though both he and Crosshairs knew it didn’t mean the girls were doing better. Crosshairs then repeated what Vegeta said to him.  
Drift could hear the sadness in his voice. He knew, like everyone else and himself, Crosshairs worries there is nothing more Bulma can do to help Jamie. They’d either Jamie continue on the path she’s been on or let her go. 

After saying nothing for a half-hour, Crosshairs insisted the two of them see Jamie. He knew Drift wanted to but, like him, hated seeing how bad Jamie is doing. Drift agreed to go with him. They figured Cade was still with Jamie. Bulma watched them, seeing how both concerned Crosshairs and Drift are. She debated telling them about Vegeta’s plan, but worried about how it could just be false hope.

Hound and Vegeta worried how bad the night could be. Vegeta debated taking the girls back to his dimension, knowing Jayce already hurt herself with a weapon Jamie has at her base. After Hound told him how they did something and seeing how scared J.R. got not seeing Crosshairs, he wasn’t sure if he should take them to his dimension.  
“... I’m not sure if she panicked not seeing any of you guys or because she didn’t see Crosshairs. She wouldn’t let him go when he came back.”  
“Might find out tomorrow. Those two might stay with Jamie all night.”  
They made a plan in case Crosshairs, and Drift didn’t come back. J.R. was calm, but they made a plan if she woke up and ended up having a panic attack and needed Crosshairs. They’d also check on Jayce a few times overnight, knowing she has been trying to ignore the pain, which would mean she’d end up being up all night.  
I hope I’m right, and my plan works. Even if it does, who knows how long Jamie will take to recover fully. I could end up just giving her enough to stop flatlining, and she could still take a long time to wake up.  
“I’m going back, but I’ll be quick,” Hound says and walks away.

Hound knew Crosshairs and Drift would be with Jamie. He noticed how they were trying to avoid reading the monitor. He knew at this point; they were afraid to see her decline again. Hound read the monitor and is relieved Jamie is still stable for now. He moved a chair close to Bulma.  
“Do you know if Vegeta’s idea will help?” Hound whispered.  
“At most, he’ll give her enough strength to stop flatlining.”  
“Damn, that’s how weak she is.”  
“Yes,” Bulma sighed, “Jamie will most likely still decline again. Vegeta’s energy may just prevent her from flatlining for a little longer; I don’t know...”  
Hound watched her try not to tear up. He got her to walk out of the building with him. The others didn’t notice.

“I know you hate how you don’t have the answers. You know Jamie is a fighter.”  
“I don’t even know the test results. Even if it’s good, I can’t tell Crosshairs and Drift about the plan and how it might not work. I wouldn’t have told anyone, but Vegeta told you, Cade and Bumblebee, before telling me.”  
“Because he was waiting until he saw the test results and knew you’d worry like you are now. Why he didn’t wait, I don’t know.”  
“Well, I’m not telling Crosshairs and Drift. I hate telling everyone without knowing the outcome and telling them-.”  
“Tell us what, Bulma?” Drift asks. Bulma saw the Drift and Crosshairs walking towards them.  
“No, I can’t..” Bulma couldn’t finish before starting to cry. Drift hugged her and tried to get her to calm down. Crosshairs wanted to ask Hound what Bulma refuses to tell them. After watching the girls struggle, he is worried about Bulma, worried she was slowly ending up like the girls. Bulma didn’t take long to calm down.  
“What’s the problem, Bulma? I don’t care what it is, please tell me,” Drift insisted. Crosshairs also insisted she tells them. Bulma did what they asked, and while they understood her concern and why she didn’t want to tell them, they were happy she did. Everyone felt a little more hopeful, but aware Vegeta’s plan could just be a temporary solution. Bulma told them they’d find out if Vegeta could even do his plan tomorrow. Crosshairs and Drift wanted to go back to the girls, but worried Bulma would be up all night. Bulma insisted they go back, knowing what happened when J.R. overheard Drift and since she overhead Vegeta today. Hound went to see Jamie, and Bulma returned to her work.

It surprised Vegeta to hear Bulma told Crosshairs and Drift about his plan. Vegeta knew the others worried this wouldn’t work; everyone is worried. The three of them went to check on the girls, who are still asleep. Both Crosshairs and Drift stayed in J.R.’s room. The girls may end up having a nightmare, and Jayce would ignore the headache, or at least try to, concerned the two, but they were more worried about J.R. Vegeta stayed with Jayce.

J.R. slept for six hours before being woken up by a nightmare and ending up with a severe panic attack. Vegeta sees J.R. and Crosshairs trying to help her get her breathing under control before giving Drift a syringe. He tells both of them how Jayce woke up and tried to deal with the headache, but he took care of her, and she’s asleep before going downstairs. Crosshairs held J.R. once she was breathing returned to normal.  
“Damn it; this is bad,” Crosshairs felt J.R. trembling, “It’s already late; doubt she’ll fall asleep soon.”  
Drift nodded and gave Crosshairs the syringe. J.R. is asleep twenty minutes later. Crosshairs laid her in bed.

“This is becoming a nightly problem,” Crosshairs sighed. They left the room, went down the stairs, and sat on the couch.  
“That bad?” Vegeta asked.  
“Yes, worse than they have been. The longer this goes on, the more terrified she gets and most likely Jayce, but you’ve seen how uncomfortable she has been. The painkillers seem to keep her calm, and she sleeps when the drug kicks in,” Crosshairs explains. Vegeta goes to bed, knowing the girls will be asleep for a while. Drift went back to Cade’s dimension, though he knew Bulma would be asleep. Crosshairs wasn’t sure what to think about Drift wanting to be with Jamie at two A.M. and knowing Bulma would be asleep. Crosshairs let Drift have time alone with Jamie and went to Jamie’s room.


	36. A Little Good News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's good news with jamie's EEG test result and vegta can do as he planned. Crosshairs and Drift are now arguing about what to do to help Jayce and J.R. which concerns the others.

Crosshairs stayed in Jamie’s room until six A.M. before going to Cade’s dimension. As Crosshairs expected, Drift is asleep by Jamie. He didn’t expect to see Cade sleeping in the building.  
Is Cade that worried about Jamie now? Crosshairs wondered. Instead of going near Jamie, he went to find Bumblebee and Hound.  
“We wanted to stay, but we weren’t sure if Bulma and Cade could sleep while we’re in there,” Hound tells him.  
“Well, Drift went in there anyway after dealing with J.R,”" Crosshairs informs him.  
“He’s quiet and wouldn’t disturb them. Another bad night with J.R.?” Hound asked.  
“She’s getting worse. You know how we hate having to use drugs to get her to sleep.”  
“Yeah, bad enough, Jayce has to have painkillers, or she’s uncomfortable.”  
“How bad- was she?” Bumblebee asked. Crosshairs tells them.  
“… I hope J.R. doesn’t tell Jayce. It’s bad enough she overhead Vegeta yesterday, and this happened. A month of this shit.” Crosshairs walked away, but he didn’t go to the building. Bumblebee and Hound left Drift alone.

Cade is up an hour later. He didn’t disturb Drift and assumed Crosshairs was around. Crosshairs told him about J.R. and that Drift left as soon as she was asleep. He wanted to stay and see what the test shows. He also worried about leaving Jayce if she’s like J.R., and it didn’t look like Drift would leave soon. 

Just as he was about to walk into the building, a portal opened; Crosshairs knew it was Vegeta.  
“They’re still asleep,” Vegeta tells him.  
“I’ll go back. I know you want to find out about the test results,” Hound says, looking at Crosshairs. They didn’t expect Bumblebee to want to go with Hound. Crosshairs quietly walked into the building and sat beside Drift. He looked at Drift, still sleeping and holding Jamie’s hand.  
Even if Vegeta can do his plan, this shit could still last weeks. I just hope he’ll give her enough strength to stop flatlining and to fight. I don’t think he can change how long it’ll take her to recover, but she’ll be able to fight this. It’ll be a step in the right direction, something good for once.

“How long have you two been here?” Bulma asks Crosshairs a half-hour later. Crosshairs gets up and stands next to her.  
“He’s been here since two-thirty this morning. I’m not sure how long he’s been sleeping. I’ve been here since six.”  
By now, Vegeta joins them as Crosshairs tells Bulma about J.R. and how Drift left once she was asleep.  
“Damn it. The only good thing is you don’t have to deal with both girls having severe panic attacks. I know you both hate how Jayce has to have painkillers to be comfortable,” Bulma comments.  
“Jayce had one before she ended up with a concussion.”  
“I-I didn’t know.”  
Bulma is thinking about how bad both girls could be if Jayce didn’t end up getting a concussion and dealing with post-concussion syndrome. Sure, that was bad, but her mental state wasn’t as bad as it could be. How bad would J.R. be if she wasn’t distracted worrying about Jayce?  
Cade walks in, not liking the look on Bulma’s face.  
“Leave Drift alone,” Bulma says before walking past Cade and out of the building.  
“Do I even ask?” Cade asks, watching Bulma walk away. Crosshairs tells him what he told Bulma.  
“.... I thought she already knew about Jayce’s severe panic attack. If I knew she didn’t, I wouldn’t have mentioned it. I know she hates hearing how bad Jayce and J.R. are doing.” Crosshairs knew Cade also worries about the girls.  
“Damn it; I don’t know if you or Drift not being there is a good idea. Even if Bee and Hound are there.”  
“Hound knows to contact us if there’s a problem. I’ll be going back later.”  
Crosshairs went back to Jamie.  
“Damn it. Even if this works, it’s most likely still going to be several weeks. Bulma’s getting stressed, the girls are emotionally drained, and those two hate seeing how bad all three girls are,” Vegeta says.  
“We all hate it.”

Cade found Bulma sitting in the carport. He sat next to her.  
“Seems like every day the girls get worse, or I find out about how bad they were before I got here. They can’t take several more weeks of this.”  
“None of us want this to last several more weeks, but what else can you do besides let her go? I know you don’t want to do that.”  
“I haven’t even looked at the test results yet. I’m waiting until Drift is out of the way. I don’t want to disturb him.”

Drift wakes up fifteen minutes later, not expecting to see Crosshairs. Crosshairs tells him how long he’s been here, and now he made Bulma more bothered by how much Jayce and J.R. have been struggling.  
“She knows we all hate it. The girls have been lucky not to witness a severe flare-up. Add that Jadin caused this one,” Drift sighed, “I’m worried Jamie will be like J.R. if she comes out of this but most likely worse. You know how she is.”  
Drift gets up and walks out of the building. Crosshairs knew Drift was thinking about how bad Jamie might be if she comes out of this, maybe about Jayce and J.R. He sat in the other chair on the other side of the table.

Drift went to the back of the property and sat on the ground, leaning on the fence.  
Thirty days of this shit, and most likely, this will last several more weeks.

Bulma walks back into the building fifteen minutes later. She asks Crosshairs where Drift went. He tells him about their conversation. Bulma said nothing and went to care for Jamie. Crosshairs watched, worried she’d find out Jamie is declining again. Cade walks in two minutes later and watches Bulma, also worried. Cade has seen what’s needed to care for Jamie. Still, Crosshairs hasn’t and hated seeing how much Bulma needed to do. However, he didn’t know the specifics around what she was doing. He just knew it was necessary to keep Jamie alive. Drift comes back in ten minutes later and watches Bulma finish. She asks them if they want to know what she does, but like Cade, both say no. All three knew they’d have to learn all this but didn’t want to while Jamie is critical. Bulma brought up the EEG results. Everyone watched, hoping it would be good.

“Oh, wow,” she says after reviewing the results for five minutes, “this is unheard of, but there’s no sign of damage. I’d like to check by doing a C.T. scan, but I can’t right now. For now, it’s looking good.”  
“So?” Vegeta asks.  
“Yeah, do it,” Bulma says and stands next to Crosshairs.  
“Please let this work,” Vegeta says as he gives Jamie some of his energy. They all knew it would be some time before they know if Vegeta’s plan is working.  
“I know you two want to stay here, but I don’t think that’s a good idea with how bad the girls are doing,” Cade says. Crosshairs told Drift he could stay, but Drift insisted on going back with him. Bulma also wanted to go back to see how Jayce is doing. Cade still hated when Bulma wanted to leave, even if Jamie is doing good. Vegeta doesn’t go with them.

“They’re both still asleep?” Bulma asks Hound.  
“J.R. is, but I’m not sure about Jayce. I was about to see if she is awake,” Hound tells her, “what’s going on with Jamie?”  
Bulma tells Bumblebee and Hound what happened the past half-hour while Crosshairs and Drift check on the girls.

Jayce is awake and trying to get out of bed, ignoring the headache and how dizzy she is. Drift and Crosshairs walk into her room. They see Jayce sitting on the edge of the bed, holding her head in her hand. She was uncomfortable. She tells them how she hates feeling this way while crying for two minutes before she throws up. Crosshairs moved the trash can towards her before going to get the painkillers and water. Jayce cries while throwing up; Drift tried to comfort her.  
Crosshairs returns five minutes later with Bulma. Bulma checks Jayce to make sure she’s not getting worse before trying to get her to take the painkillers, but Jayce refused. Drift tells Bulma to leave the painkillers and water on the desk. He’ll try to get her to take them in a while. Bulma and Crosshairs look in J.R.’s room; she was still asleep.

“Any ideas?" Crosshairs asks Bulma as they walk down the hall. She knew he was asking about Jayce.  
“Besides what I gave Drift yesterday, nope. That doesn’t last long either; it just kicks in faster. The good news is Jayce isn’t getting worse, but if she refuses painkillers, she will be a challenge.”  
Bulma walks away. Crosshairs assumes she’s going back to Cade’s dimension. Crosshairs waits for Drift, hoping he’s able to get Jayce to take the painkillers.

Drift comes out of Jayce’s room fifteen minutes later.  
“She fell asleep, but before I could try to get her to take the painkillers.”  
“Great, should we get a sedation syringe?”  
“No, I’m tired of having to use those,” Drift says and walks down the stairs.  
So am I, but you know how poorly she could end up. I hope you’ll go back to her room soon.

Crosshairs follows him back down the stairs, and they sit on the couch. Hound could tell by their expectations that Jayce refused to take the painkillers. They sit quietly for a half-hour before J.R. comes down the stairs. Crosshairs got her to drink as they sat on the couch. 

Drift gets a syringe from a cabinet, and goes up the stairs. Crosshairs saw him get the syringe and go up the stairs. He wanted to go to Jayce’s room in case Drift needed help. He waited ten minutes before attempting to step away, expecting J.R. to refuse to let him go, but he could walk away. She knew he was going to Jayce’s room. This time, she became worried seeing Crosshairs go to Jayce’s room, knowing Drift is already there.  
Why does he want to go to her room while Drift is there?  
Hound knows she’s worried and moved to sit next to her in case she tries to run to Jayce’s room. Bumblebee turns on the T.V., hoping to distract her.

“You didn’t have to come in. Jayce is still asleep,” Drift says as Crosshairs walks in.  
“Not for long,” Crosshairs sits on the chair by the desk, “and you know how bad she could be. I told you to use the syringe.”  
“No! I said I’m tired of using those!”  
Sure enough, Drift’s yelling woke Jayce before Crosshairs could ask why Drift got a syringe if he refuses to use them. She just stared at them. Drift tries to get her to sit up, but she refuses. She was too uncomfortable to move. Drift says nothing and walks out of the room.  
What the hell, Drift? Crosshairs couldn’t believe Drift just walked out of the room. He sat on his knees beside the bed and held Jayce's hand, not sure what to say. He watched the tears roll down her face.

Bumblebee and Hound watch Drift go down the stairs and head towards the area where portals open. Both knew he was leaving, but it was unusual for him to leave like this. They could tell he was angry.  
Don’t tell me those two are now arguing over caring for the girls. Hound worried.

Hound waited forty minutes before going to Jayce’s room. Crosshairs sat on his knees beside Jayce’s bed as Jayce slept. Crosshairs got up and walked out of the room.  
“What the hell happened?” Hound asked. Crosshairs tells him and isn’t pleased to hear that Drift left. Hound tells him to go back to Cade’s dimension, but Crosshairs isn’t sure if he should know that Jayce heard him and Drift arguing. He goes back to the couch next to J.R.  
Good, she’s distracted.

Didn’t think he’d be back already. Bulma watched Drift walk into the building and sit beside Jamie. She sees how distraught he is, but she assumes everything is ok with Jayce and J.R. since he said nothing.

Crosshairs got Jayce to take the painkillers, but she wouldn’t let him lay her down.  
This isn’t good; she heard him. He’s never angry like that. I’ll leave him alone for a while.  
Crosshairs had to get back to J.R. but couldn’t leave Jayce alone. He waited until she felt better and drank a bottle of the nutrition drink before getting her to come with him and sit on the couch with J.R. Bumblebee was sitting on the couch near them. Hound wanted to ask Crosshairs why Drift left. Vegeta was waiting for them.  
“... Go back and talk to him.” Hound wasn’t suggesting that Crosshairs talk to Drift; he was trying to make him go. Bumblebee joins the conversation, thinking the girls would be fine. After five minutes of going back and forth, Crosshairs agrees to go back, and Bumblebee goes with him.   
“We need to get the girls out of here. How long before they hurt themselves?” Vegeta tells Hound.  
“I know, but I don’t think they’ll leave. They want to do something while they’re here, but I can tell they’re still depressed and don’t think Jamie will recover.”  
They try to get them to go back to Vegeta’s dimension. As Hound expected, they refused. Hound and Vegeta didn’t force them; instead, they just sat on the couch with them.


	37. Stress Levels on The Rise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crosshairs and Drift finally get a little recharge, but both are bothered by memory playback. Bumblebee, Hound, and Vegeta are bothered by how Crosshairs and Drift seem to be arguing about how to care for Jayce and J.R. but refuse to talk to each other. Vegeta goes as far as bringing the two girls back to his dimension and forbidding Crosshairs and Drift from returning, unaware of the serious consequences that entails. The two mechs go back to Cade's dimension to sit by Jamie but accidentally reveal to Bulma and Cade that the two have been arguing, and now it seems Vegeta is arguing with them. After their talk with Bulma, they return to her dimension, aware they may have an argument with Vegeta in the morning,

Crosshairs saw Drift by Jamie but didn’t bother going into the building with Bumblebee. He went to the back of the property to think.  
Bumblebee stood by Drift, though he was expecting Drift to be in recharge. Bumblebee said Nothing, remembering Bulma telling them Jamie might hear them. Though it wasn’t certain, Bee didn’t want to start an argument near her. Drift seemed to ignore the fact Bee is next to him. Cade stands next to Bumblebee five minutes later and assumes Drift can be here.

Four hours pass before Drift steps away from Jamie. Bumblebee follows him out of the building, so Bulma and Cade don’t hear him.  
“Crosshairs- is here. Hound- insisted he- come back here. You two - need to talk.”  
“There’s nothing to talk about, Bee,” Drift says, deactivates his holoform, and walks away. Bumblebee goes back into the building.

Drift finds Crosshairs by the fence in recharge. He sits next to him and allows himself to slip into recharge.

Hound wasn’t sure if he should be concerned Crosshairs and Drift haven’t come back yet. Crosshairs didn’t even want to leave with the way J R. has been. For now, Jayce is lying on the couch, facing the back of the couch while J.R. watched T.V.  
“You want to go back and see what’s going on?” Vegeta whispered.  
“You think you can handle them? I’m worried about J.R.”  
Vegeta nods, and Hound walks away.

“He thinks there’s Nothing to talk about? Crap," Hound says, displeased.   
“They’re both- at the back- of the- junkyard.”  
“I’m not bothering them. I just hope they don’t keep arguing.”   
They went into the building and stood by Jamie. Bulma just finished checking on Jamie.

“She’s still stable,” Bulma tells them, but there’s worry in her voice.  
“Bulma?” Cade asks, concerned.  
“I’m sorry, I’m just worried.”  
“I know we all are. I think we all will be until this shit is over.”  
“Is she stable enough for you to take a break?” Hound asks.  
“Yes, but I-.”  
“Go ahead, Bulma. We’ll be here,” Cade says. Bulma leaves the building as Cade moves a chair close to Jamie and sits down. Bumblebee and Hound watch Bulma walk towards the back of the junkyard before joining Cade by Jamie.

Bulma found Crosshairs and Drift in recharge and not sure what to think. It seemed strange suddenly they’d come back to the junkyard to get a little recharge after being too worried about the girls to leave them alone. 

Hound goes back to Jamie’s dimension three hours later. Vegeta wants to get Jayce and J.R. to go back to his dimension. He lucks out, and the girls let him take them. Hound plans on staying in Jamie’s dimension for a few hours since Crosshairs and Drift will come back.  
Vegeta brings Jayce and J.R. back to the room they stayed in and got them to drink a bottle of nutrition drink. He hated how depressed they are. He knows both girls are thinking of the conversation they each overheard, hoping they don’t tell each other about the conversation they overheard.  
This won’t be good if they tell each other about the conversation they overheard. Damn it, Hound better return before that happens.

Crosshairs comes out of recharge, bothered by memories of a time when the Autobots, Cade, and the three girls were happy. He looked over at Drift.  
When did he come back here? Is he having memory playback?  
Crosshairs wasn’t sure if Drift is still angry and didn’t want to stay and find out. Crosshairs walked towards the building and finds Bumblebee waiting for him. Bumblebee told him Jamie is still stable, and Hound returned but already left.  
“No problems with the girls in the past seven hours? With the way J.R. was yesterday, it seems strange she’s fine and Jayce..”   
He trailed off and walked into the building to ask Bulma to open a portal. Bumblebee doesn’t go with him.

Hound wasn’t pleased to hear Crosshairs, and Drift didn’t talk. Crosshairs knew why Vegeta insisted on taking the girls to his dimension. Instead of going there, he activates his holoform and goes to sit in Jamie’s room.  
I don’t think those two will go to Vegeta’s dimension. I hate to think maybe it’s a good thing.

Drift Abruptly wakes up, terrified. Takes him a minute to realize where he is and that it was just memory playback.  
Please let her recover.  
He felt a need to rush to the building, but also terrified to see his girl.

Vegeta got the girls to go to a room to watch T.V. He knew Jayce wouldn’t last long. Hound walks into the room.  
“Did you make them-?”  
“No. I’m not sure how long before Jayce feels uncomfortable. It’s been seven hours since she had the painkillers. I can tell she’s trying to ignore the headache, but I’m waiting for her to want to lie down. You know if those two are coming back?”  
“I doubt it, and maybe it’s a good thing.”  
Vegeta left the room; Hound wasn’t sure if he would talk to Crosshairs and Drift.  
Vegeta wanted to talk to both Crosshairs and Drift. He knew it might cause arguing, which Jayce and J.R. didn’t need, so instead, he goes back to Cade’s dimension to see Jamie.  
“Is she ok?” Vegeta asks Bulma, seeing Bumblebee and Cade, by Jamie.  
“Yeah, Bumblebee and Cade have been by her more since the second time she flatlined. I think if we didn’t have to worry about Jayce and J.R., we’d all be here all day.”  
Vegeta stood by Bumblebee. Drift comes in forty minutes later. Bumblebee hates how he didn’t go back to Jamie’s dimension to talk to Crosshairs. Vegeta wanted to yell at Drift and didn’t want Bulma and Cade to know what’s going on.

By now, the light from the T.V. is bothering Jayce, and J.R. decides she’s had enough T.V. J.R. knows Jayce is uncomfortable and tries to get Jayce to take the painkillers once they returned to the room. As she expected, Jayce refused before lying down on her stomach on the bed. J.R. laid on the other bed and picked up the tablet off the table. It tempted Hound to make Jayce take the painkillers but didn’t want to force her. He sat on a chair between the two beds.

Two hours pass before Vegeta gets angry at Drift and is tempted to yell at him, even if it means Bulma and Cade will find out what’s going on. He watches Drift get up and ask Bulma to open a portal to Jamie’s dimension and quickly says he’s going back with Drift. This annoys Drift, but he says Nothing.  
Crosshairs watched as Drift and Vegeta walked out of the portal.  
“I was just about to go back to Cade’s dimension.” He says.  
“No, you two are staying here!” Vegeta yells, “if you two will argue, stay the hell away from the girls!” Crosshairs is now pissed and ready to fight. He was about to pick Vegeta up when Drift pushed him back.  
“Stop. You better go back, Vegeta.”  
Vegeta is still pissed, but still opens a portal and leaves.  
“So, he thinks he can handle both of them?” Crosshairs says, still pissed.  
“Hound’s most likely with them, but still after the way J.R. was yesterday after you were gone for two days-.”  
“And Jayce, damn it. We should go to his dimension, but I think he’d start an argument.”  
“We’ll go tomorrow, you know the girls should be asleep by now.”  
They both sat on metal cubes and thought of what to do now. They’re tired of seeing all three girls go through this nightmare and now are arguing over what to do to help them. Both wanted to go to Vegeta’s dimension, even though they worried he’d start an argument, and both wanted to be with Jamie. They both talked about their memory playback, both hating what the other said. Afterward, Drift opens a portal to Cade’s dimension and tries to get Crosshairs to come with him.  
“I know you’re also worried about her.” Drift says. Crosshairs agrees to go with him.

Bulma watched the two of them walk towards Jamie. She still isn’t aware of what’s been going on. She thinks Hound and Vegeta told them to be with Jamie. They were both happy to see Jamie hasn’t started declining again.

Vegeta spent the past half hour training to blow off some steam before going back to the room. J.R. was still using the tablet, and Jayce was still laying on her stomach, but she covered her head with a pillow.  
“I don’t know if she’s asleep or not,” Hound tells him. “Leave her alone.”  
They were both thinking J.R. didn’t want to go to sleep and is waiting to see if Crosshairs would come back and how bad it would tonight be?

Bumblebee and Cade walk into the building. Bumblebee joins Crosshairs and Drift while Cade sits on the chair at the table next to Bulma.  
“How long before we know if this is working?” He whispered, not sure if Bulma wants Crosshairs and Drift to hear them. She repeated what she told Hound.  
“Damn it.” Cade sighed.  
“... then we have their mental pain to deal with. Everyone will deal with the mental effects, though the three girls, Crosshairs and Drift, will deal with more than the rest of us. I feel like Jadin planned all this, and the plan wasn’t to kill Jamie... this time.”  
“No, that bastard wants her dead. Jamie is trying to fight this but was too weak from the fight before Jadin poisoned her. I’ve learned enough about this though I think even if they didn’t fight before Jadin poisoned her, all this shit still would have happened.”  
“You’re right, this would still be like when Vegeta tried to kill her,” Bulma sighed, “now, this is the worst flare-up, and we’re back to not knowing what will happen. I know you guys have been lucky not to see a severe flare-up, but you know what one is like.”  
Cade gets up and joins the others by Jamie.  
Come on, Jamie. I don’t know how much longer we can take this, especially Crosshairs, Drift, Jayce, and J.R.

It relieved Hound and Vegeta that J.R. went to sleep, no problem, but they knew both girls could wake up. Hound insists Vegeta goes to sleep for a while. Vegeta still refuses to sleep in a bed since he’d have to leave the room. Hound leaves the room and goes to Bulma’s lab to contact Crosshairs and Drift. He knew they’d be back in Cade’s dimension.

“What’s the problem?” Crosshairs asked, concerned.  
“Nothing.... for now, but both of them went to sleep without drugs. I know that’s what we want, but I don’t think Vegeta and I can help them if either of them wakes up.”  
“Crap.” Crosshairs and Drift both said. Both not sure what to do. They tell Hound what Vegeta told them.  
“What an idiot. He knows how you two help the girls, even if it’s a little.”   
“He thinks we’re still arguing.”  
“Idiot, I get it, he’s worried you two will end up arguing in front of the girls, but he’s seen how distraught they got when both of you left and the way J.R. was yesterday. He’s watched both of them go through a panic attack.”  
“He wouldn’t start arguing in front of the girls,” Bulma jumps in, “maybe not at all once he sees how bad the girls are and how you two help them. I don’t think we will luck out tonight, and they’ll be ok. What are you two arguing about?”  
“We didn’t want you to know you’re stressed enough. I’m tired of having to use drugs on the girls. I know how they would be if we didn’t use them-.”  
“I know, we all hate it, but you know how they’d be. You two should be with Jayce, and J.R. Jamie will be ok.”  
They both agreed and went to Bulma’s dimension. Bulma checked on Jamie.  
“Is she going to be ok?” Cade asks. Bulma knew everyone was worried and wasn’t surprised that Cade thinks Bulma was just trying to get Crosshairs and Drift to leave so they wouldn’t see Jamie decline again.  
“She’s not showing any signs of declining for now. Those two need to be there for Jayce and J.R. tonight. I know   
they want to stay here, but they know Jayce and J.R. need them.”

“You sure she’s asleep?” Drift asks as they walk into the room.  
“She hasn’t moved in two hours. I didn’t want to move the pillow and wake her,” Hound tells Drift. He watches Crosshairs and Drift sit on a chair by each of the girls’ beds. They tell Hound he can see Jamie. Hound returns to Cade’s dimension. Though he was concerned if either of the girls woke up, Vegeta would wake up and start an argument with Crosshairs and Drift.


	38. A New Problem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crosshairs discovers how terrified J.R. gets if he or any other bot isn't with her. Jayce sees how terrified she gets even though she doesn't know why J.R, is terrified. Hound believes there's something else on Crosshairs' and Drift's minds.

Hound isn’t surprised that Bulma, Bumblebee, and Cade are by Jamie. As always, he worried something is wrong and relieved that Jamie is still stable. Everyone knew it would be awhile before she started improving and aware of Vegeta’s plan’s outcomes. They hoped Vegeta gave Jamie enough energy to give her the strength to fight the flare-up and recover.  
“You left them with Vegeta? I don’t trust him not to start a fight.”  
“He will not in front of the girls. I’m not staying long. You two need to sleep.”  
“That didn’t stop Drift last night,” Cade joked, “you two don’t have to leave.”  
“I’d rather he or Crosshairs come here than me.”  
“You still thinking J.R.’s theory is possible?”  
“I don’t know, but they need to be with all three girls.”  
Bulma listened to them but said nothing.

Hound returned by midnight. Crosshairs, Drift, and Hound are relieved the two girls were still asleep. They doubted it meant one or both wouldn’t wake up in the middle of the night. They didn’t expect Bulma to walk in fifteen minutes later.  
“What are you doing here? You know they’re asleep. Don’t tell me you will stay until either of them wake up?” Drift says.  
Bulma’s silence answers Drift’s question.  
“No, Bulma, you need to sleep. You can’t take care of Jamie while you’re tired. We can take care of these two,” Crosshairs says. Both of them didn’t want Bulma to watch either of the girls go through a panic attack and give herself more stress.  
“Fine, you know you can wake me if you need help,” Bulma walks out of the room.  
12:15  
Crosshairs carried J.R. to another room, concerned either of the girls would wake the other. He planned to stay with Drift but periodically check on J.R. even though Hound stayed with her.  
“You don’t have to stay here,” Drift says once Crosshairs comes back in the room and sits on the other chair.  
“After what Jayce heard you say, I better stay,” Crosshairs tells him.  
Fifteen minutes later, Crosshairs and Drift watch Jayce move to her side while trying to keep the pillow over her head.  
“Leave her for now,” Drift tells Crosshairs and walks out of the room. Crosshairs looks at Jayce, unsure if Drift knows she’s ok or still refusing to give her painkillers. He walks out of the room and finds Drift sitting on the floor by the wall.

“I was leaving her alone until she woke up. I think she’s trying to sleep while dealing with the headache,” Drift says as Crosshairs sits next to him.  
“You will let her?”  
“If she’s able to go back to sleep. I know I will have to get her to take painkillers to drink the nutrition drink.”  
“I know you’re tired of watching them deal with this crap and use drugs on them daily, we all hate it, but you know how bad they’d be, though J.R.’s been bad these past few days. I’m thinking that’s how both girls would be if Jayce wasn’t dealing with headaches and dizziness. I hope this never happens again.”  
“You know Jadin will try again,” Hound says as he walks up to them.  
“I know,” Crosshairs says in a sad tone. They sat quietly for five minutes before they watched J.R. run out of the room and towards Bulma’s lab.  
Shit. Crosshairs thinks as he, Drift, and Hound run after her. He catches up to her and gets her to sit on the floor.  
“Stop,” he says as he tries to get J.R. to stop fighting him. Drift and Hound watch him, unaware Jayce is also watching them.  
Crap, J.R., what was it this time?  
She tries not to think about what could have scared J.R. as she goes back to the bed.  
Crosshairs knew J.R. wasn’t calming down, so he picked her up and carried her back to the room.  
“Shit, what the hell scared her?” Hound asks.  
“She’s scared Jamie won’t recover, and not seeing any of us scares her,” Drift sighed, “I worry Jayce is the same way, but she’s too bothered by the headache and dizziness.” 

The two of them went to check on Jayce. They found her sitting on the edge of the bed.  
“What’s she scared about?” Jayce asked.  
“It’s ok,” Drift assured her as he sat on the bed next to her. He hoped that would be a good enough answer, not sure how Jayce would take hearing how J.R. thinks Jamie died, and the Autobots are gone if she doesn’t see any of the Autobots. He got her to lie down on the bed with him, hoping she’d fall asleep soon. Hound looked at Vegeta.  
Geez, guess he couldn’t hear J.R., and Jayce is oddly quiet.  
He watched the tears roll down Jayce’s face for a few seconds before going to the other room. 

As he assumed, Crosshairs is laying in bed with J.R., trying to get her to calm down.  
“It’s ok,” he heard Crosshairs say before sitting in the hallway close to Jayce’s room, hating how upset the girls are.

Drift walks out of the room fifteen minutes later.  
“She fell asleep.”  
“Were you trying to avoid using the syringe?”  
“I’m tired of using them, but if she took longer to fall asleep, I’d use it. Hopefully, she stays asleep.” 

Drift goes to see if he can help Crosshairs. J.R. is a little calm but still crying.  
Damn it; she’s terrified. There’s nothing more I can do to help Crosshairs.  
“You want a sedation syringe? He asks Crosshairs, standing next to the bed.  
“I’m trying not to, but you better give me one.” Drift goes to get a syringe and gives it to Crosshairs.  
“You want me to help? Jayce is asleep.”  
“No, I got it.”

Drift left the room and saton the floor next to Hound.  
“She’s that bad?”  
“Yes, I know they’re both scared Jamie won’t recover, but I can’t believe J.R. Is this scared.” He goes back into Jayce’s room.  
So are you. Hound stays by the room, waiting for Crosshairs to come by.

A half-hour passes before Crosshairs walks up to him, sighing as he leans against the wall.  
“Don’t even ask.”  
I can’t believe how bad they’re getting.

He goes into Jayce’s room ten minutes later, relieved Jayce is asleep. Crosshairs tells Drift how he had to give in and use the sedation drugs on J.R. Neither of them are sure what to do about J.R. Though Jayce is dealing with a persistent headache and dizziness. They didn’t like how scared J.R. is. Crosshairs wasn’t sure if he could see Jamie. It was becoming harder to do so and keep Jayce and J.R. calm and not neglecting themselves.  
“You want to go back and see Jamie?” Crosshairs asks.  
“I don’t know...” Drift says, looking at Jayce.  
“She’s not like J.R.... yet. She’ll be ok with me here. J.R. will be asleep for a while.”  
I know you’re worried Jamie will decline again and want to be with her more.   
Crosshairs watched Drift leave the room. Hound watched Drift walk down the hall before going into the room. Crosshairs tells him he can go back with Drift, but Hound stayed, so Drift didn’t have to worry about returning to help with the girls.  
“... he’s really worried about Jamie after seeing her flatline; add how much he’s hating how bad Jayce and J.R. are doing. I know he’s worried about how bad Jamie could be....” Crosshairs hated how they still have to think if Jamie recovers and not when.  
“We’re all thinking the same. Go with Drift for a while; J.R. will be asleep until at least eight. I can handle Jayce.”  
“No, I’m leaving Drift alone for now. It would be great if I could tell him to stay in Cade’s dimension, but I know Jayce will want him here.”

Crosshairs didn’t go back to Cade’s dimension, and he wasn’t expecting Drift to be back four hours later. He was trying not to worry, but it’s impossible.  
“She’s fine, Crosshairs, still stable. I don’t want to leave Jayce and J.R. for long,” Drift says before sitting by Jayce.  
Damn it, I know you want to stay with Jamie, but you know Jayce and J R. need us. I don’t think the others can help us as they have been able to. Crosshairs sighed and sat the other chair next to Drift. Hound is leaning on the wall several feet away from where Vegeta slept. 

No one said a word until Vegeta woke up fifteen minutes later, not liking how Crosshairs and Drift are near Jayce.  
“What the hell are you two doing here?” He asks, angrily but not yelling.   
Though they were mad at Vegeta for already starting shit, Crosshairs and Drift just left the room to avoid waking up Jayce while arguing with Vegeta.  
“Idiot, you don’t even know what kind of night the girls had,” Hound tells him about what happened.  
“... Drift doesn’t even want to stay away from them for long, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Crosshairs is the same way.”  
“Damn it. It’s surprising Jayce didn’t wake up from a nightmare. I know it doesn’t mean she won’t anymore. How long before this nightmare is over?” Vegeta sighs before leaving the room.  
He didn’t think Crosshairs and Drift would wait in the hallway, but he walked by them. Crosshairs and Drift go back into the room. Hound tells them he informed Vegeta about what happened with J.R. and how Vegeta wasn’t pleased to hear it. They hated there was nothing they could do and worried Jayce was like J.R., and every day that goes by, they become more scared about Jamie, and they neglect themselves.  
“You two want to go back before they’re both awake?” Hound asked.  
“I don’t know,” Crosshairs says. Drift doesn’t answer. Hound walks out of the room.  
Crap, after last night, I don’t think either of them will go back to Cade’s dimension. I wouldn’t even bring Jayce and J.R. back there. I can’t believe how bad they’re doing.

Hound wasn’t expecting Bulma and Cade to be awake this early. Trying not to worry, he walked up to them to see what they were doing.  
“How long have you been here?” Bulma asks as she walks towards the table.  
“Five minutes,” Hound watched her get some supplies.  
“I doubt we’ll see any changes, but I need to make sure the chemical level isn’t rising.”  
Cade and Hound could tell Bulma hated how she couldn’t say there’d be a good chance Jamie would finally start improving.  
“It’s ok, Bulma. We know it’ll be some time before Jamie improves.”  
“You can’t change how fast Jamie recovers. I know you hate how bad the girls, Crosshairs, and Drift are doing with all this. We all hate it and watching Jamie like this.”

“You still don’t want to leave Jamie?” Hound whispered, waiting for Bulma to open a portal.  
“You’ve seen how fast she can decline. She may be stable, but her vitals are still low. You’ve read the monitor.” Cade replies, “besides, what can I do that Crosshairs and Drift haven’t to help Jayce and J.R.? The last time I came with Bulma, they were scared, thinking something happened to Jamie.”  
“Doesn’t matter; they’re not doing good mentally.”  
“Let’s go, Hound,” Bulma says. The two of them go back to Bulma’s dimension. Cade sat by Jamie.  
Damn it, come on, Jamie. I hope you have enough strength to fight this now. I worry this will still last at least a month. I don’t know how much more we can take.

Bulma and Hound walked into the room. By now, Crosshairs brought J.R. back to the room Jayce is in.  
She knows I brought her to a different room last night, but I think she’d still be scared not seeing Jayce.  
Bulma could tell by looking at Crosshairs and Drift, J.R. didn’t have a good night. She knew the only reason Jayce didn’t get upset seeing J.R. upset is because she was uncomfortable. However, if she took the painkillers, she most likely wouldn’t have slept all night.  
“What are you doing here this early, anyway?” Crosshairs asks.  
“Blood tests. I need to make sure the level of the chemical isn’t rising. I don’t think it started going down yet. It could be at least a week before that happens,” Bulma walks out of the room.  
“Damn it. I know Bulma is guessing, but I hope she’s right. Even if she is, this shit could still go on for weeks.” Drift sighed.  
Something is bothering him and most likely Crosshairs. Hound thought as he insisted the two of them go back to Cade’s dimension.  
“No,” both Crosshairs and Drift say.  
“You’ve seen how bad J.R. is and after what she did the other day. They both hated how we left them,” Crosshairs argues.  
Yeah, something is bothering both of them. Hound wasn’t sure how to get Crosshairs and Drift to go. Maybe Bulma can get them to go, or they’ll go after seeing the girls will be ok.


	39. Cade Tries to Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cade goes to Bulm'a dimension to help Hound and allow Crosshairs and Drift to see Jamie. he discovers how bad the two girls are doing and how being with Crosshairs and Drift helps them, even if it's just a little. Crosshairs and Drift hate how upset the two girls got while they were away from them all day.

J.R. wakes up Ninety minutes later. She laid on the bed and looked at Jayce, still asleep.  
“She does this every day,” Hound says.  
“Wouldn’t surprise me if she still feels terrible for what she did that gave Jayce shit to deal with. She’s probably wondering if Jayce woke up at all last night and how bad she’ll be feeling today,” Crosshairs says before going to sit next to her. He tries to get J.R. to drink a bottle of nutrition drink, but she refuses. Bulma walks into the room and isn’t liking how J.R. doesn’t want to drink. Crosshairs tells her to leave J R. alone; it’s only eight-thirty in the morning, so he wasn’t too worried yet. He stayed with J.R. while the others talked in the hallway. Of course, Bulma didn’t like hearing about J.R. 

“You think Jayce would be the same way if she wasn’t dealing with the headache and dizziness?” Hound asks.  
“Most likely, yes,” Bulma sighed. Drift walks back into the room. Hound sighed as he watched Drift go back into the room.  
“Something is bothering him, besides what’s been going on, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Crosshairs is also thinking about whatever Drift is.”  
“Maybe we can get them to talk later. Though we know, they’re thinking about the girls but not specifically if it’s something different from what they have been thinking.”  
“After watching J.R. last night, I don’t think they want to leave the girls alone for long. Damn it.”  
“And I know they want to see Jamie, especially Drift. There’s really nothing I can do to help them besides what we’ve been doing.” They didn’t know Vegeta was standing behind them, listening to them until he walked by them and into the room. Bulma and Hound go in soon afterward. Drift was sitting in the chair next to Jayce’s bed.  
Strange she’s sleeping this late, but I know it’s good for her.  
“I’m going back. Here, I had a feeling you’d need this,” Bulma says, handing Drift a syringe. “The quick painkiller.” She walks out of the room; Vegeta follows Bulma back to her lab and goes with her to Cade’s dimension. 

Bulma tells Bumblebee and Cade about the girls without him even asking. As usual, they both hate what they’re told and know there’s nothing more Bulma can do. She says nothing about the blood test, and Cade doesn’t bother asking.  
“Damn it; with Bulma back and Jamie stable, I’m going back to her dimension.”  
Of course, Cade tells Bulma in case she’d rather he’d stay after doing the blood test, but Bulma has no problem with him or Bumblebee leaving.  
She’ll be fine, and I doubt you’ll be long like the others usually are.  
“You didn’t tell them the blood test results?” Vegeta asks.  
“I will tell them later when Crosshairs and Drift can leave the girls alone. Hound thinks there’s something bothering them besides what’s been bothering them the past month. Obviously, about the girls.”  
Vegeta doesn’t ask her to tell him the test results before sitting by Jamie and taking her hand.  
Come on, I know you’re a fighter. 

“What are you doing here?” Hound asks when Cade walks into the room. “You know Jayce and J.R. do nothing all day.”  
“Hoping to get Crosshairs and Drift to go back and see Jamie,” Cade whispers.  
“Good luck with that. After last night and how the girls are doing this morning, they will not leave. Crosshairs finally got J.R. to drink a bottle of the nutrition drink. Jayce woke up fifteen minutes ago and feels like shit. Bulma gave Drift a syringe with the fast-acting painkiller, but like J.R., Jayce is refusing to drink, and that painkiller lasts only an hour.”  
Jayce gives in fifteen minutes later, even though she’s still feeling terrible.  
Damn it, ten days of this.  
Crosshairs knew she was watching Jayce and how she really hated what she did. Like everyone else, he hated how Jayce is, even if it distracted both of them from worrying about Jamie. Jayce had to lie down fifteen minutes later but refused to take the painkillers that last awhile.  
I thought she was getting better. If this is how she feels without painkillers, damn it.  
Drift wasn’t surprised that Jayce fell asleep fifteen minutes later. Cade takes this as an opportunity to get Crosshairs and Drift to go back to his dimension and see Jamie. Between him and Hound insisting on them going and assuring that Jayce and J.R. would be fine for a couple of hours, Crosshairs and Drift finally agreed to go back. 

Vegeta stood next to Bulma, sitting at the table when Crosshairs and Drift walked into the building. He insisted Bulma leaves the building with him.  
“You going to eavesdrop?” She asks once they are a suitable distance from the building  
“No, leave them with Jamie for a while. It’s getting harder for them to come here without worrying about Jayce and J.R. It Would be great if they stayed for the day.” 

Cade got J.R. to go watch some TV to distract her, but by noon, she’s had enough of the TV. Cade takes her back into the room. J.R. sits on the chair by Jayce’s bed. Jayce is still sleeping.  
“I thought Drift gave her a quick fix?” Cade whispers.  
“He did. Though usually, Jayce has the painkillers that make her want to sleep. Between the headache, dizziness, and feeling depressed, I think she just wants to sleep. Bulma says it’s good for her, so I wouldn’t be too worried.” 

“Should we go back?” Drift asks Crosshairs. Crosshairs could tell from Drift’s voice that he really didn’t want to go back.  
“The others know to contact us if there’s a problem.” Crosshairs replies. Drift knew it was true and could tell, like him, Crosshairs didn’t want to leave. By now, Bulma was back to her work on her laptop, though Vegeta insisted she stay out of the building until Crosshairs and Drift left. He knew there was a system in place in case Jamie declined. Crosshairs looked over towards the table to see if Bulma came back. He stood up, walked to the table, and sat on a chair next to her.  
“Are we in your way?” He whispered.  
“No, It’s fine. I know you two want to be with Jamie. You know that there’s not much that’s done to care for Jamie. Though I assume, like Cade, you guys want to wait until she recovers to learn about all this. I know you guys know how to care for her when she has a mild flare-up, though I also assume Jayce took care of that.”  
“No, we were lucky that Jamie didn’t need much care.”  
“Not really lucky. Like I said, I kept the severe flare-ups to a minimum. The last one was eight years ago. Did you tell Drift what I told you about what Jamie went through recovering from when Vegeta tried to kill her?”  
“No, he already hates seeing how critical Jamie has been the past thirty-one days. I know he’ll hate seeing her slipping in and out of conciseness if that’ll happen and to have him think about that among the other things on his mind.”  
“And yours. I know you two have been thinking about the girls. Something new is bothering both of you. Am I right?”  
Crosshairs sighed and looked over at Drift.  
“Nevermind, you both can tell me when you both want to,” Bulma assures him. She would like to know, but fine with her if they didn’t want to tell anyone. She had her suspension about what new thing was bothering them. Crosshairs went back to Jamie. Drift is getting more upset the longer he stays with Jamie, but it’s what he wanted, so Crosshairs didn’t bother getting him to go back to the girls.  
I know they both want to stay here but worry about leaving Jayce and J.R. with the others for long, even though they can take care of the girls.  
Bulma watched the two mechs before returning to her work. Bumblebee walks in five minutes later and sits on the chair beside Bulma. By now, he wasn’t bothered by how he couldn’t say anything when using his holoform. Like Cade, he was too worried about Jamie to leave Jamie. It’s not like he could do anything the others aren’t to help Jayce and J.R. 

Another two hours passed; Crosshairs and Drift are still torn between staying with Jamie and getting back to Jayce and J.R., especially with the way J.R. has been the past three days. They knew Jayce would most likely be sleeping but knew she could get upset like J.R. that the two mechs have been gone all day. Vegeta has been with Jamie for the past two hours and knew Crosshairs and Drift were debating going back to Jayce and J.R.

J.R. is happy that Crosshairs and Drift are with Jamie, but also want them to come back. By now, Jayce was awake and knew Crosshairs and Drift were with Jamie. Cade was now debating on getting Crosshairs and Drift before either of the girls get upset, especially J.R. bur he knew it was a challenge for Crosshairs and Drift to see Jamie.  
I’ll give them a couple more hours. 

By five p.m., J.R. was getting worried that Crosshairs and Drift were not coming back for a couple of days. She could tell Jayce was getting worried, and of course, that Jayce was uncomfortable.  
I made her worse by bringing her with me to Jamie’s dimension, but I know she wants Crosshairs and Drift too.  
Cade and Hound stood in the hallway, talking about if they should get Crosshairs, but got distracted by J.R. running out of the room. Cade ran after J.R., and Hound went back into the room. Hound found Jayce sitting on the edge of the bed but clearly feeling too dizzy to follow J.R.  
“She’s really upset,” Jayce says before holding her head in her hand. Hound heard her mumble that she also wants Crosshairs and Drift and that Hound should go help Cade. She knew how difficult J.R. has been. Hound gets her to lie down before going to see if Cade needs help. He had a feeling J.R. most likely triggered an emotional seizure with how upset she gets. 

I hate how I’m right. Hound watches Cade walk back to the room, carrying J.R.  
“I can’t believe she gets this upset,” Cade says.  
“Both of them do, but normally not enough to trigger a seizure. Just enough that Crosshairs and Drift have to give in and use drugs to get them to sleep. It’s been a challenge. They’ve both been getting worse as this shit continues.”  
“What the hell?” They heard Crosshairs. Crosshairs took J.R. from Cade and brought her to another room, knowing Jayce would end up upset seeing the way J.R. is. Drift peeked into the room and saw Jayce was fine before going to the room Crosshairs went to.  
Cade followed to see if he could help Crosshairs and Drift. Hound went back into the room and saw Jayce trying to get out of bed. He watched her sit on the edge of the bed for a minute before laying on her stomach and covering her head with a pillow. He could hear her crying through the pillow.  
I know you’re tired of feeling like crap. I don’t understand why you refuse to take painkillers. 

“Unbelievable, she thought we left for days. We should have come back sooner,” Drift sighed, looking at J.R. As always, after a seizure, she’s quiet and tired.  
“She was fine until ten minutes ago,” Cade says as he walks into the room.  
“Is she ok?” J.R. had her head resting on a shoulder and hugging Crosshairs.  
“Yeah, she’s always quiet and tired afterward,” Crosshairs says, “I don’t know what’s worse, this or panic attacks. The girls are struggling.”  
“I don’t even want to know how bad Jayce is. You saw how fast they can go from being ok to not, Cade,” Drift says as he gets up and leaves the room. 

Drift knew Jayce would be upset, knowing J.R. ran out of the room and knowing what can happen when J.R. gets upset. Drift didn’t think Jayce would try to get to J.R. but was too dizzy to go anywhere. He sat on the chair beside the bed. He didn’t expect Jayce to look to see who’s next to her, nor did he expect for her to move onto his lap even though she’s dizzy and had a headache. Like J.R., Jayce rested her head on Drift’s shoulder. Cade and Hound watched them, seeing how uncomfortable and upset Jayce was and how Drift seemed to be mad at himself for not coming back sooner.  
“I really hope those two aren’t beating themselves over not coming back sooner.” Cade whispers, “They needed to be with Jamie. I was hoping to get them to go back in an hour, but I doubt it now.”  
“Then it’s our turn to be with Jamie. I doubt they’ll be able to get away from the girls for a few hours.”  
Cade and Hound both go back to Cade’s dimension.

“Damn it, I want to check on them. I’m getting concerned about J.R. I can wait a bit. I need to take care of Jamie.” Bulma says before going to get what she needs to take care of Jamie.  
“J.R. didn’t just tell you she wanted to come back here, did she?” Hound says as he and Cade walk out of the building.  
“No, she told me how she’s tired of all this. She doesn’t think I know what’s been going on with them. I know she didn’t finish before..you know.”  
“I’m worried they will harm themselves again.”  
“You don’t think they’d try to-?”  
“No, I think they’d pull the plug before doing that. You know, Jamie’s barely holding on. Though I think they’re too scared to even come here and do it., I think even if we told them what Vegeta did, even if we told them that Jamie is improving when she does or even showed them, they’d still have little hope that she’d recover until she gets to the point where she can’t decline.”  
“Which it’s going to be weeks before that happens.”  
“Most likely.” Bulma sighs as she walks up to them. “Jayce most likely could recover from Post-Concussion Syndrome before that, and you know how much more of a challenge she’ll be.”  
“Great.” Cade slides his hand down his face. 

Crosshairs knew Jayce is upset just by seeing Drift holding her while sitting on a chair and that she was feeling dizzy since she was resting her head on his shoulder.  
Wouldn’t surprise me if she is worried about J.R.  
He got J.R. to sit on the bed and drink before helping Drift get Jayce to take some painkillers. She wouldn’t let Drift lay her on the bed. Crosshairs sat next to J.R. The two mechs looked at each other, knowing that they’d need to talk.


	40. What Will Happen If Jamie Wakes Up?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bulma insists Crosshairs and Drift tell her what's new that's been bothering them, unaware this means she now has to tell everyone unwanted answers. This crushes Drift more than the others, and Bulma immediately regrets telling everyone the answers. Cade and Vegeta worry she's getting too stressed and no one can take over for her.

The girls are asleep; Bulma, Cade, and Hound want to talk to Crosshairs and Drift.  
"What's going on with you two?" Bulma asks, "it's obvious that something else is bothering you."  
Crosshairs and Drift look at each other. They didn't want to tell the others. If they weren't thinking about it by now, they didn't want to give the others more to worry about, but now they have no choice.  
"We've been thinking about how bad this would be if this shit happened when the three of them weren't with any friends. If Jayce and J.R. had to deal with this alone." Drift starts.  
"Watching their mental decline, I don't think Jayce would have come here to tell you what's going on, though I don't think she told you so you'd take over. They would have been alone, taking care of Jamie and dealing with their panic attacks and nightmares alone," Crosshairs adds.  
"I worry, how bad will Jamie be? How are we going to help all three of them?" Drift finished.  
Both Crosshairs and Drift looked at Bulma. Bulma knew Crosshairs didn't tell Drift how Jamie could be when she wakes up, and they both wanted to know if Jamie would end up like Jayce and J.R.  
"Bulma?" Cad asks. It was clear Cade wanted to know and most likely Hound. Vegeta knew how Jamie usually is when she wakes up from a flare-up, but they wanted to know if she'd end up like Jayce and J.R.  
"She will most likely be feeling weak for at least a week. I worry she'll try to go back to training right away since Jadin attacked," Bulma signed, not really wanting to continue, but they asked.  
"She went through a couple of weeks of being in and out of short comas, but only the first time, when I tried to kill her," Vegeta sighed.  
"That may be the case this time, but there's no way to know for sure until she wakes up. Unfortunately, I do think she'll be like Jayce and J.R. emotionally."  
Everyone was silent for a few minutes. Bulma had the look of regret on her face.  
"It's ok, Bulma. I wanted to know," Drift says, sadness in his voice, before going into the room.  
"He knew it would not be good but wanted to know; we all did." Crosshairs says before going into the room.  
"Come on, let's leave them alone," Vegeta and Cade get Bulma to go back to Cade's dimension. Bumblebee and Hound stay, hoping to get Crosshairs and Drift to go see Jamie.

"I shouldn't have told them," Bulma says as she looks over Jamie.  
"They wanted to know, though they seemed to have figured it out without you telling them. Honestly, I think it's good Drift knows Jamie could end up in brief comas. Better than him panicking, watching her slip into one. You know he'll be with her a lot when she wakes up." Cade assures her,  
"I'm surprised they're thinking of this now. They know it'll be weeks. That's how much they worry about the girls, damn." Vegeta says and walks out of the building.  
Bulma and Cade weren't expecting Crosshairs and Drift to walk in ten minutes later. They watched the two sit beside Jamie.  
"You ok?" Cade asks Bulma, seeing how upset she is.  
"You see upset they are? And if they knew the specifics about taking care of Jamie during a severe flare-up. How.." she couldn't finish before starting to cry. Cade got her to leave the building before Crosshairs and Drift could hear her.  
"They're going to have to know. Not now, but you know they must know."  
"I can't. You know how upset they'll be knowing Jamie is on life support. How, without it, we lose her? I'm glad they don't want to learn about all this yet. Bad enough they know Jamie flatlined twice."  
They know about the third time, but I'm not telling you. Cade thought.  
"You sure they don't know? They seemed to understand when J.R. said `pull the plug'."  
"You know that could mean giving up on Jamie. I can't take seeing them and the girls upset, and I have no answers," Bulma runs off.  
Shit. Cade watched her for a second before going to his trailer. He knew he couldn't hide how concerned he was from Crosshairs and Drift.

"What is the problem?" Vegeta asked, concerned, as he sits next to Bulma.  
"Jamie is still stable. I don't want to talk about it," Bulma couldn't stop herself from crying as Vegeta hugged her.  
"They asked, and you know they hate not being told the details; they want to know. Cade is right, it's better they know now what potentially could be part of Jamie's recovery."  
"They don't know all the medical details. How upset they'd be if they knew... I have to tell them, eventually."  
"Yes, but not now."  
Bulma goes back to her work twenty minutes later.

Two hours pass before Crosshairs and Drift decide it's time to go back to the girls. They didn't like that Bulma was still awake and working on her laptop at midnight. They leave but didn't tell Bulma why they think they're keeping her awake. They didn't lie either.

"She claims she was just finishing up work, but I think we made her upset by asking about the recovery process and if Jamie will be like Jayce and J.R. emotionally," Crosshairs sighed.  
"She's getting too stressed like Jayce was," Drift says in a sad tone. Crosshairs knew what Drift was thinking. He stopped Drift in the middle of the hallway.  
"You know she's worried about how long this flare-up has been going on, but she doesn't want to give up, even though we don't know if Vegeta's plan is going to work, and even if it does, she's clarified this will still last weeks," he thought for a moment, "I know you're thinking like Bulma, worried about Jamie but don't want to let her go, we all are, and worried about Jayce and J.R."  
Damn it, he needs to destress, but he's worried about the girls.  
They found Bumblebee and Hound in the hallway, who realized Drift is upset. Of course, this worried Bumblebee and Hound. Crosshairs had Drift go in the room.  
"Jamie's stable but Bulma is upset that we asked her about what will happen as Jamie recovers, and you know Drift didn't like the answers though he knew he wouldn't like the answers, he wanted to know. Bulma has been slowly getting stressed, not having the answers, not knowing if Vegeta's plan will work and what will happen as Jamie recovers. All she knows for sure is that all three of the girls are going to have a long road to recovering emotionally."  
"Two weeks just like Jayce, shit, and there's no one to take over for her." Hound worried. "Cade already feels bad he didn't let Jayce teach him how to care for Jamie, but he's right, now's not the time to learn.  
"Bulma has cared for Jamie for two weeks, but she also has the emotional struggle Jayce and J.R. have been going through how this is now the worst flare-up, and she has no answers this time on her mind."  
"You two should go back to Jamie's dimension."  
"No, you didn't see what J.R. did last night when I wasn't with her. I don't know if she got scared she didn't see any of us or just me, but I'm not letting her go through that again." Crosshairs walks into the room.  
"Damn it, he's right. J.R. gets scared if she doesn't see any of us and thinks Jamie died. Crosshairs comforts her enough to keep her calm, so he should stay with her. The same with Drift being with Jayce. I worry they'll take months to recover emotionally, and you know how Jamie already struggles mentally."

Bumblebee and Hound stay to try to help Crosshairs and Drift. Hound still had the goal of trying to get them to see Jamie more. He'd wait a couple of hours. Crosshairs was in the habit of carrying J.R. to another room a couple hours after she falls asleep. Bumblebee told Crosshairs that he'd stay with her, hoping it would give Crosshairs a break, though he knew most likely he and Drift would talk about the girls. He ended up thinking about what the two of them said earlier today.

Drift leaves the room after Crosshairs carried J.R. out of the room. Crosshairs didn't go find him.  
He needs to be left alone. I don't think he left. I know he's too worried about Jayce and J.R. to leave, no matter how much he wants to be with Jamie.

Crosshairs waits forty minutes before going to find Drift. Hound stays in the room with Jayce, and Bumblebee was still with J.R. Though he was concerned, J.R. wouldn't let Bumblebee help her.

Crosshairs didn't expect to find Drift in Bulma's lab, nor did he know Bulma kept Jamie and Jayce's laptops in her lab and not in capsules. Drift was on Jamie's laptop. Crosshairs knew Drift knew the password; Jamie trusted him. He watched Drift look at the photos on the computer for a few minutes.  
"Why are you looking at those?" He asks. Drift looks at him, surprised Crosshairs caught him.  
"I know you get upset looking at those just like Jayce. I don't even want to look at them. You...you don't think she'll recover?"  
"Isn't it obvious? She's only strong enough to... stay alive for a week..." Drift couldn't finish. Crosshairs wasn't sure what to say that would change Drift's mind, but he had to get Drift to step away from the computer.  
"I know you're afraid she won't recover, we all are, but Bulma hasn't given up yet. She knows more about this than we do, even if she doesn't have all the answers."  
"You know that if Vegeta didn't think of giving Jamie some of his energy, she would have told us she's out of options. We don't even know if his plan will work. You heard Bulma, it's most likely still going to weeks-."  
"Stop, I know. We all have the same worries you do. I know seeing Jamie flatline scared you. That also scared me." Crosshairs got Drift to close the laptop and leave the lab. They went to the balcony, sitting on the floor in silence.  
At six in the morning, Drift tells Crosshairs he wants to go see Jamie. Crosshairs also wanted to, but wasn't sure if it was a good idea right now. The two go to Bulma's dimension.

They didn't expect Cade to be awake already. They found him sitting on a car near the building. Crosshairs expected Drift to ask Cade about Jamie, but he activated his holoform and walked into the building.  
"Is he going to find bad news in there?" Crosshairs asks, concerned.  
"No, nothing's changed. At least Jamie's vitals. Is he ok?"  
"No, you know he's been worried since this shit started, but after seeing Jamie flatline, he's been even more worried."  
"Damn, Bee and Hound saw you two that night and told me, but we're not telling Buma. I didn't think he'd end up worrying that much more."  
"Yeah.." Crosshairs trails off.  
He's right to worry more if you think about it.  
"You're also having a hard time," Cade observed. Crosshairs said nothing; he walked away. Cade walks into the building and sits at the table.  
Damn it, I know why they're both more worried about Jamie. Bulma's most likely thinking the same.

Bulma wasn't surprised that Drift was with Jamie. She could wait a bit before caring for Jamie. She sat next to Cade on the rusted car. Cade knew she didn't care for Jamie yet and didn't want to talk. Vegeta sits on the other side of Bulma. She leaves on him and hugs him. Trying not to worry, Vegeta hugs her. Cade goes to his trailer. Drift comes out of the building fifteen minutes later and notices Bulma and Vegeta. Bulma was crying. Drift deactivated his holoform and headed to the back of the property. Neither Bulma nor Vegeta noticed him.  
Something is wrong, shit.

Drift found Crosshairs on recharge. He sat next to him. You didn't even come into the building, Crosshairs. Did Cade tell you Jamie's declining? Drift slipped into recharge.

Bulma and Vegeta go into the building fifteen minutes later. Bulma wasn't expecting to not find Drift by Jamie, though it was good. Now she didn't have to ask Drift to move to check on Jamie. Cade walks in five minutes later. He and Vegeta watch Bulma, hoping that Jamie is still stable. They'd like to be told that she is improving, but they knew it was most likely still too soon to see improvement. Cade was also wondering why Drift left so soon? He's always with Jamie for at least four hours. Neither Cade nor Vegeta asked about Jamie when Bulma was finished, nor did she say anything. She just continued her work on her laptop. Everyone has been wondering what she's been doing, wondering if it's related to Jamie but didn't bother to ask. They just stood by Jamie.  
"What are we going to do about Bulma?" Cade whispered. "She's getting too stressed."  
"Nothing we can do. I think Bulma is working on developing either equipment for the Autobots or medication for Jamie. Even if we tell her not to, she's going to refuse to step away from whatever she's working on, though I think when she does walk away from everything, she still worries about Jamie like the rest of us. Honestly, I think she was more stressed the first time, not knowing if she could help Jamie. Now she doesn't know how long this will last."  
"Or if she'll survive this time. You haven't noticed the pattern, have you? Jamie's only able to fight for a week, then her body gives up. Drift is very worried it's going to happen again, and he ended up worrying Crosshairs. Bulma, Crosshairs, and Drift are the most worried about Jamie. Jayce and J.R. have given up. If Jayce wasn't injured, I think they would have left by now. I know Crosshairs and Drift still worry the two girls will try to hurt themselves, and J.R. already showed that she'll run off first. I hope you giving Jamie energy will help her fight this. Sucks it'll still be weeks."

Crosshairs comes out of recharge ninety minutes later, not expecting to find Drift in recharge next to him.  
Good, take a break, Drift. I know he's not going to recharge for much longer. He wouldn't allow himself to be in recharge for long since he's worried about the girls.  
Crosshairs went back to the building to be with Jamie. He told Bulma, Cade, and Vegeta that Drift was in recharge.

Nine in the morning. Well, neither Bee nor Hound have contacted us, so the girls must be ok. After how J.R. was the other night, I don't know if it's a good idea that Drift and I stay away from both of the girls for long. I know Drift would like to be with Jamie more, but worries about Jayce and J.R. I can't believe how emotionally hurt they are. Are you going to be the same way, Jamie? Crosshairs held her hand. I don't think we can take seeing you emotionally hurt the way Jayce and J.R. are, especially Drift.  
Cade watched Crosshairs closely. To Cade, it looked like Crosshairs was looking at all the stuff Jamie was attached to. He knew Crosshairs didn't just notice everything; he's most likely wondering what all the stuff Jamie is attached to was.  
Crap, please don't ask. I can tell you about the IVs and the monitor leads, but like Bulma, I can't tell you how Jamie has been on life support. I know we're going to have to after this is over, and that's going to be hard.

Fifteen minutes pass before Crosshairs starts thinking about how he needs to get back to Jayce and J R., but he didn't want to leave Jamie.  
"You want me to go make sure they're ok?" Cade asks. "As long as you two aren't going to be gone all day, I think J.R. will be fine."  
"Fine, contact me if either of them aren't."

Cade didn't expect to see both of the girls still sleeping. He knew it was very likely J R. woke up in the middle of the night. Hound confirmed that. He tells Cade how she woke up at two-thirty and ended up having a panic attack from whatever her nightmare was about. Hound told Cade how he waited for a half-hour before giving in and using drugs so J.R. will be asleep for a little longer.  
"Jayce was awake, but she feels like crap and fell asleep. I've been thinking about how these two don't ask about Jamie; they seem to have given up and are just waiting for her to die. What are their nightmares about?"  
"If I had to guess, either the first time Jamie flatlined, but she isn't revived or Jadin attacking again. There's nothing we can do if we ask them what their nightmares are about."  
"Those two having a hard time again?"  
Cade nodded. "Crosshairs is with Jamie. Strange Drift isn't, but I doubt he's been avoiding seeing her."  
No way I'm telling him about how Crosshairs was looking at the medical equipment.  
Cade told Bumblebee and Hound that he'd stay for a while.

Drift abruptly comes out of recharge. He takes a minute to realize he's at the junkyard.  
It was just memory playback, but...

Drift gets up and walks towards the building. He sees Crosshairs' vehicle mode in the carport. He stands next to the carport, activates his holoform, and walks into the building. He found it odd Cade wasn't around. Crosshairs tells him Cade went to check on the girls a little over an hour ago. Crosshairs noticed Drift is more upset than before he went into recharge. He knew Drift had memory playback of seeing Jamie flatlined.  
Damn it, so much for a break from this.


	41. Would J.R. Harm Herself?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bulma becomes worried the longer this goes on, the more J.R. is reaching her limit and may at the very least harm herself. Jayce continues to deal with post-concussion syndrome, so Bulma is not concerned about her. A plan is set in place to hopefully stop J.R. if she tries to get away from everyone to inflict self-harm.

The girls have been awake for a half-hour. As usual, Jayce refuses to take painkillers. J.R. seems more concerned about her than how Crosshairs and Drift aren't here.  
Jayce is lying on her stomach and covering her head with a pillow. Bumblebee and Cade return to the junkyard. 

"I'm worried, Bee. Jayce is too uncomfortable with a persistent headache and dizziness to try anything, but J.R. has already harmed herself. She's worried about Jayce, but I worry about her."  
"You - think- she'll -try something?*  
"I do; J.R. ran off while she was with Drift, so I don't think it matters if either Crosshairs or Drift are with her. They're already worried about the girls; I don't want to add to their worry. Hound knows I'm concerned about J.R. possibly harming herself again."  
"Should tell- Vegeta. He can - go after - her - if she - leaves the - dimension."  
They left Crosshairs and Drift alone. Cade goes to his trailer while Bee sits on a rusted car. 

"I better get back to Jayce and J.R.," Crosshairs says, "you can stay here."  
"No, I better go back too."  
"I know you want to stay here with Jamie. You know Hound is with them, and Jayce hasn't been feeling great. J.R. is the one who can be a problem," Crosshairs put a hand on Drift's shoulder, "you can stay here for a while."  
Crosshairs asks Bulma to open a portal. He didn't expect Bulma to come with him. 

Bulma and Crosshairs knew Jayce refused painkillers and was lying on her stomach, covering her head with a pillow. 

"She's choosing to deal with this by sleeping, which is good for her, but I would like to know why she's refusing painkillers," Bulma comments.  
"I'm thinking she's feeling guilty about not being able to help Jamie," Crosshairs says in a low tone so only Bulma and Hound could hear him.  
"Damn it, even though she knows it's mostly monitoring."  
"I think it's because she's not the one watching Jamie and how you had to take over," Hound suggests.  
"You think she's thinking about how this would be if this didn't happen while they were with us?" Crosshairs asks.  
"Shit, that's most likely part of what she's thinking."  
Shit, J.R., is that part of what you're thinking? Crosshairs sits next to her on the bed. He knew she'd lean on her and hug him.  
Crosshairs told Hound he could go back to Cade's dimension when Bulma said she was going back.

Bulma and Hound decided not to tell Drift about the conversation they just had with Crosshairs. They'd let Crosshairs decide to tell him or not. They didn't go into the building either. Hound went to get a little recharge, and Bulma continued her work on her laptop, sitting at the table outside. Cade joins her ten minutes later. He tells her the conversation he had with Bumblebee, and Bulma tells him about the conversation she had with Crosshairs and Hound.  
"Wow, what are we going to do?" Cade asks, hoping Bulma had an idea, though he was pretty sure there was nothing they could do.  
"Nothing we can do to get them to stop thinking that way. I'm worried J.R. is going to reach her limit and..."  
"Fuck Bulma, you could be right. She already hurt herself before."  
"It would be great if we didn't have to involve Crosshairs and Drift. Those two worry enough," Bulma says.  
"They don't like not being told about Jamie when she's declining; they will not like not being told that J.R. could try to hurt herself again even though they will not like hearing we think J.R. could try to hurt herself again." 

Cade goes back to his trailer, expecting to be told they're going back to Bulma's dimension soon, but after three hours, he found it strange that he wasn't disturbed. He found Bulma still at the outside table. Bulma is bothered by how long Drift has been with Jamie.  
"Strangely, he's been worried about all three of the girls now it's like he's just worried about Jamie."  
"You know how hard this has been on him," Cade is trying to avoid telling Bulma how Drift saw Jamie flatline a couple of days ago, "Crosshairs could have stayed longer if he wanted to. They both know Bumblebee and Hound are with the girls."  
"I don't think Crosshairs knew Drift would stay three hours after he left."

I have to go back to Jayce and J.R., but I can't leave you. Not after seeing you flatline, and it was the third time.  
Drift felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked to see who it was, though he quickly realized he should have known it was Crosshairs.  
"I'm sorry, I-," he started.  
"I know," Crosshairs sighed, "I'd like to stay here, but I'm worried about J.R. You saw how she was after I left for two days. I think Jayce wants you to come back. She asked if you would be gone for a couple of days again, but I think she knows you're here. It's hard to tell if she's starting to be like J.R."  
"How is she?"  
"Still feeling like crap and refusing painkillers,"  
Crosshairs sits beside Drift, unsure what else to say. 

Bulma walks into the building and stands next to Drift fifteen minutes later.  
"You need us to move?" Drift asked.  
Bulma wasn't sure how to tell Drift that she wants him and Crosshairs to come back to her dimension to talk about the girls with Bumblebee and Hound.  
"Come on, let's go back. Jamie will be ok," Crosshairs says.  
"I'll stay here," Cade says as he walks up to them, "I will not be useful with the girls."  
"What?" Drift asked, concerned.  
Shit, should I have gone back sooner?  
"Seriously, Cade! I was trying not to worry him."  
"You think he wouldn't worry about J R. and what we have to talk about?"  
"Come on, she'll be ok," Crosshairs repeats in hopes Drift would go back to Bulma's dimension.  
Drift agreed to go, though he was afraid this would be the last time he'd see Jamie even if Bulma says she'll be ok and Cade stayed with Jamie.

Bulma went to find Vegeta when they got to her lab. Bumblebee and Hound were in the hallway. Bumblebee and Hound realized Drift didn't want to leave Jamie, but he is concerned about Jayce and J.R.  
"What's the problem?" They hear Vegeta as he and Bulma walk down the hall.  
"We're concerned about J.R. though I think they'd both try it if Jayce wasn't feeling like crap."  
Vegeta didn't need to ask; he knew what Bulma was talking about.  
"I can't believe we have to think about this and what to do," Bulma sighed.  
"Same as before when we thought J.R. would run off to Jamie's dimension," Vegeta says.  
"Ok, but what about Jayce? I don't know if J.R. will tell Jayce what she's going to do, but if she's successful, Jayce will know by sensing J.R.'s low energy," Hound explains.  
"I'll deal with that," Drift says.  
"Where are you going to have J.R.?" Crosshairs asks.  
"Here; while Jayce will worry about J.R. whether she's here or at the junkyard, I think here will help Jayce relax a little," Bulma explains.  
Vegeta walks away as Crosshairs and Drift are thinking about what they can do to help Jayce. Drift has already decided he can't leave Jayce alone, even if she takes painkillers. While he's just guessing, he thinks the painkillers won't keep her asleep all night like they have been.  
"I don't think that's a good idea," Hound says, "Jayce is already an emotional wreck, and if we're right about what she's been thinking about, she's going to be worse of a wreck than if you brought J.R. to the junkyard."  
"It wouldn't matter where J.R. is; Jayce will worry, but we all know why there is a better place to bring J.R.."  
Crosshairs didn't explain why, but the others knew what he was thinking.  
"We'll just continue what we've been doing. Hopefully, we're wrong, and J.R. won't try anything, but if she does, even if she hurts herself, bring her back here. Drift and Crosshairs can take care of Jayce, and hopefully, we won't need to use long-term sedation, but we know how bad J.R. could harm herself," Hound instructs everyone. Everyone agrees it's a little better than bringing J.R. to the junkyard, but they hope they're wrong about J.R. trying to do anything. 

They see the girls sitting on the floor by Jayce's bed. Jayce is clearly having a hard time. She has her knees up and her head resting on them. J.R. is talking; the others listened in, hoping to get answers.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?" J.R. asks, "you're too uncomfortable to even sit on the floor with me."  
Jayce lifts her head up even though she's dizzy and the light is bothering her.  
"I failed everyone. I couldn't help Jamie, and you know how screwed we'd be if this happened back in Jamie's dimension?" Jayce started tearing up, "it's bad enough she's unable to fight the flare-up. You know Bulma is thinking like us and like us, she can't do it. For all we know…" Jayce od having a hard time finishing what she wanted to say, "... Bulma could just be keeping Jamie alive cause of the thought of the Autobots, and Cade will lose Jamie, and you know...." Jayce cries. It's clear to the others J.R. wanted to say something, but she was now trying not to cry while comforting Jayce. Crosshairs and Drift go in the room and sit with them.

"Well, we got one question answered. It's a good thing J.R. said nothing," Hound says as he, Bulma, Cade, and Bumblebee watch Crosshairs and Drift comfort Jayce and J.R., "I don't think it's only Jayce thinking she failed Jamie, and how screwed they'd be if this happened anywhere else. J.R. just keeps her emotions bottled up."  
"I'm going to make a first aid kit. We need to be prepared. Don't tell them, but I think Jayce would try something like J.R. if she wasn't feeling like crap," Bulma tells them before walking away.  
"I think they know already," Hound says, "come on, Bee, let's leave them alone."  
They follow Bulma to her lab. They watch her put together a first aid kit as Vegeta walks in.

"You think I can take care of whatever she'll do to herself?" Vegeta asks.  
"Hopefully enough before you bring her here. I hope we're wrong, but we need to be prepared," she showed Vegeta what she was putting in the box and instructing him on what to do, though she guessed what J.R. could do to herself. Bumblebee, Hound, and Vegeta hated what Bulma thought J.R. could do. She could have minor injury or end up seriously injured. Bulma also feared that she'd end up with a head injury.  
"...We could be lucky, or this nightmare will get a lot worse."  
"Damn it," Hound says in a disappointed tone.  
"No way they're going to leave Jayce and J.R. to see Jamie, even though Drift couldn't leave her today."  
"I know. They want to be with Jamie more but worry about Jayce and J.R. The girls are too depressed that they don't eat, and if we don't give them the nutrition drink, they probably won't get it themselves, and well, you guys know."  
"The girls don't even ask about Jamie. I'd love to tell them something, but I know we want to wait."  
"It's better for them." 

They all go back to Cade's dimension and inform Cade of the plan. Bulma tells him what she thinks J.R. will do to herself; minor and serious. Bumblebee and Hound go into the building to be with Jamie. Cade stops Bulma from following them.  
"You think she'd come here and pull the plug?" He asks.  
"I don't know, but if that's what she's going to do, we'll be here to stop her. Actually, I'd rather that than her going to hurt herself."  
They go into the building and Bulma checks on Jamie. She couldn't hide how she was bothered by what Jayce said.  
"There's more, isn't there?" Cade asked when Bulma finished.  
"Jayce thinks she failed Jamie and has been thinking about what would happen if Jadin attacked in another dimension. She thinks I'm just keeping Jamie alive because I hate the thought of you and the Autobots losing her."  
"Jayce is not thinking straight. She should know that you would make the tough decision if you had to."  
"I can't -."  
"I don't think you'd keep her alive if she wouldn't recover, no matter what we did. You were concerned about brain damage — and probably still are — but I know you'd make the tough decision if you have to."  
"You know I'm not sure if what Vegeta did will work, and I don't know what to do if it doesn't work."  
"I think you know enough to let Jamie keep fighting or not."  
Cade goes to sit by Jamie.  
You might not be 100% sure, but I think you'd decide if there was no sign that Jamie could recover. I know people would say that Jamie had to be revived three times is enough proof Jamie can't fight this, but she comes back and fights for a week. She needs a little help, and hopefully, Vegeta's energy is that help.


	42. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crosshairs wakes up to Drift crying in his sleep and there's not much he can do to help Drift. Unknown to Crosshairs, Bumblebee saw the situation and informs Hound. The two mechs refuse to tell Crosshairs and Drift that Jayce and J.R.'s nightmares are back. They do tell Bulma even though there's not much she can do.

With Jayce and J.R. asleep, Hound insisted Crosshairs and Drift take a break, even if it's somewhere else in the building. However, he'd like it if they went to see Jamie.   
The two mechs went to another room to try to get some sleep. 

Three hours pass before Crosshairs hears Drift crying in his sleep.   
This isn't good, but I'm relieved he didn't start dealing with nightmares weeks ago.   
Crosshairs had a hard time getting Drift to wake up, hating how Drift is talking in his sleep. Drift is dreaming about Bulma deciding to let Jamie go and watching Jamie die.   
As awkward as he felt, Crosshairs sat Drift up and hugged him, hoping Drift would wake up.   
A few minutes pass before Drift huge him.   
"She's gone," Drift sobs.   
Crosshairs isn't sure if Drift is still asleep or having a hard time realizing he's dreaming. Crosshairs is unsure how to get Drift to calm down. There's not much he can say.   
Damn, I hate I'm going to have to let him cry. Crosshairs regrets.   
A few minutes pass before Drift is calm. Drift lies back down but is afraid to go back to sleep. Crosshairs lays with him, hoping it's enough to keep Drift relaxed until he falls asleep. 

"He what?" Hound asks, "shit, this isn't good. Jayce needs him for comfort, but if his mental state is that bad."   
Bumblebee and Hound think of what they should do with this piece of information and wondered how long before Crosshairs, Jayce and J.R. have nightmares? Would anyone else, including themselves, have nightmares? The only good thing is Jayce and J.R. have had a break from the nightmares, and no one else has had any until tonight. 

Drift gets three hours of sleep before waking up and leaving the room, hoping. Crosshairs doesn't have the same nightmare he had.   
He stands on the balcony, watching the stars, hoping Jamie will begin to show signs of improving soon. 

Drift stays on the balcony for five hours before going to see if Jayce and J.R. are awake. 

Both Jayce and J.R. are awake and giving Bee and Hound a hard time. Crosshairs and Drift walk in soon afterward. The two mechs hold each of the girls, watching tears roll down their faces.   
Both Crosshairs and Drift worry the two girls also had a nightmare, wondering why all of a sudden? Why thirty-three days into this nightmare? Especially since it seems they already gave up.   
Bumblebee and Hound watch, debating on whether to tell the two mechs the rough night the girls had. Hating their four friends dealt with Nightmares. 

I don't understand why they're this upset all of a sudden. Is it the mental toll this situation has on them? Crosshairs is very concerned about the two girls and Drift. He remembers Bulma's concern about J.R. possibly going to try to hurt herself, worried J.R. is considering harming herself, and what if Jayce is thinking the same? Drift is also thinking about the same concerns as Crosshairs. The two are unaware Bumblebee and Hound left. 

Bumblebee and Hound agree not to tell Bulma or Cade about Drift having nightmares last night. They'd rather not mention Jayce and J.R. having a nightmare, but it's not an option not to tell them.   
"Shit," Bulma frets, "I was hoping to be wrong about J.R. wanting to harm herself, but s-she might take it further, and Jayce...."   
No one knows what to say, but hopes Bulma is wrong. 

Vegeta quickly discovers the bad night Jayce and J.R. had and resorts to training, feeling furious there's nothing more he can do to help Jamie. He knows he can't easily hunt down Jadin, and even if he could, Vegeta feels like he needs to stay and help with Jayce and J.R. even if there's not much the others are doing.   
The three girls could end up dead because of what I did years ago. That bastard needs to pay. 

Drift goes back to the room he and Crosshairs stayed in last night.   
Thirty-four days...I don't think Jamie can recover.  
Drift locks the door before lying on the bed and letting himself cry. 

Crosshairs stays with Jayce and J.R. for an hour before going to find Drift. He tries not to panic, not finding Drift, but after last night, he worries Drift will harm himself.   
Why is this door locked? Fuck.   
"Drift, open the door!"   
Crosshairs has lock picking tools in case Jayce or J.R. locked him or the others out. 

He walks into the room, worried about what he's going to find. He's not sure if he should be happy Drift is asleep since he can tell Drift had been crying.   
I know you're terrified Jamie can't recover; we all are.  
Crosshairs worries Drift will have nightmares until this ends and worries Jayce and J.R. will have nightmares.   
He went to talk to Bulma. Its likely Drift would have suggested doing the same. 

Crosshairs discovers Bumblebee and Hound already talked to her. He wanted to ask about Jamie but always afraid to hear how Jamie is doing.   
Bulma is worried about Crosshairs and Drift's mental state how Drift is having nightmares like the girls.   
"She is slowly improving," she tells Crosshairs even though he didn't ask. Saying nothing, Crosshairs sits by Jamie and takes her hand.   
How long before you can get off this machine and wake up? Crosshairs wonders. 

Three hours pass before Drift wakes up terrified. Crosshairs tries to calm him down, hating how upset Drift is but unsure what to say. Afraid the little improvement Jamie is making will be lost.   
"You know Jamie is a fighter. Bulma and Vegeta are doing all they can to help her."   
All Crosshairs can do is let Drift cry, and he hates it. He had to try not to cry hearing Drift cry. 

Bumblebee and Hound have been with Jayce and J.R. all day. Neither of the girls want to do anything. Jayce's headaches seem to be subsiding, and she no longer needs to shield her eyes from the light. Little do Bumblebee and Hound know J.R. is planning to leave, or as she calls it, her escape from her emotional pain.   
Thirty-four days; she's not going to recover, and it's not going to be long before Bulma ends life support.   
This thought causes J.R. to cry. Bumblebee carries her out of the room before Jayce gets upset.   
He goes to anther room and sits on the bed with J.R. on his lap.   
I'm so tired of the girls' emotional pain. Please let Jamie wake up soon. 

Crosshairs walks in ten minutes after J.R. falls asleep.   
"I worry she's planning something," Bumblebee frets.   
"We all are; there's not much we can do until she runs to the lab," Crosshairs sighs. 

Drift knows Jayce will eventually want him but thinks he can no longer comfort her. He is uncertain what to do. He now has a hard time trying not to cry while thinking his girl can't recover. Crosshairs returns to the room he's staying in to check on him and try to get him to relax enough to go to the girls' room. Meanwhile, Bumblebee and Hound wonder how long before Crosshairs reaches the same point as Drift? How long before they all fall apart?


	43. Assumption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After dealing with Jayce, who no longer suffers persistent headaches and dizziness, Crosshairs insists Drift go see Jamie. Unfortunately, he walks into the building to see Bulma doing something with the ventilator. He assumes she made the decision without talking to the others. He goes to the back of the junkyard and cries. Cade tells Bulma he saw Drift is at the junkyard, but she doesn't think it's urgent to explain to Drift what she was doing until she discovers he's having a nightmare about Jamie disappearing from the dimension. What happens next really upsets her.

By five at night, Jayce needed Drift. Drift quickly realizes Jayce waited for his comfort to cry.  
This Isn’t frustration over her persistent headache and dizziness; this is fear Bulma’s going to decide we need to let Jamie go, that Jamie can’t recover. Drift realizes as he listened to Jayce cry. With J.R. still asleep, Crosshairs tries his best to help Drift calm Jayce, though it’s getting harder to calm her down. Bumblebee and Hound watched, hating the tight hold Jayce has on Drift.  
Damn, don’t tell me she had another nightmare? Hound frets.  
Unknown to them, Bulma is standing in the hallway, the door open enough for her to hear Jayce’s crying. She stays for a few minutes before going to her lab.  
Jamie is finally making progress to where I’m confident she will not have a severe setback, but she’s slow to recover. I worry Jayce or J.R. are going to try something before Jamie wakes up. Bulma frets as she reviews test results.

Drift tries to see if a walk around the building will help Jayce though he’s carrying her.  
Are you recovered enough from Post Concision Syndrome and back to emotional struggles like J.R. is, or have the drugs been keeping you that relaxed? That can’t be right, though; it’s only pain killers unless it’s all the sleeping you’ve been doing. Drift wonders.  
Drift is focused on Jayce and unaware he’s walking by Vegeta, who is hating what he’s seeing. Vegeta knows he’d be no help to Drift and hates it. He goes to Bulma’s lab.

“I know,” Bulma tells Vegeta in a sad tone after he tells her what he saw, “I don’t know if telling them any good news is a good idea, or even going to help them.”  
Vegeta knows Jamie is making minuscule improvements, but it’s good Bulma believes Jamie has enough strength to fight and not flatline again.

Crosshairs couldn’t believe how frightened J.R. is, bawling and trembling.  
How the hell did she not deal with this the past fifteen days? It’s obvious Jayce on pain killers, and sleeping most of the day and night helps her. No way worrying about Jayce was a good enough distraction for J.R. Crosshairs wonders while hugging J.R. He gets her to lie down with him, but getting her to stop crying is proving to be difficult.  
“Jamie will die,” J.R. sobs.  
Crosshairs doesn’t know what to say. He’d rather not tell Jayce or J.R. the slight improvement Jamie made.

Once the two girls are asleep four hours later, the four mechs, Bulma, Cade, and Vegeta, talk about the rough day Jayce and J.R. had.  
“I fear things are going to get worse,” Bulma frets, “not with Jamie; I’m certain she’s strong enough not to flatline, but I worry about J.R.”  
Everyone agrees they will continue not to tell Jayce and J.R. about Jamie. Crosshairs couldn’t tell everyone what J.R. told him.  
“Jayce is recovering from Post Concision Syndrome; she’s going to be more of a challenge,” Drift tells the others.  
“We knew she’d recover before Jamie,” Bulma sighs.  
Everyone hates thinking the plan in place for J.R. if she tries to get away from here and harm herself, is now in place for Jayce.  
Crosshairs worries part of Drift’s nightmare is telling Jamie Jayce and J.R. are dead. His fear causing him to forget if any of the three girls die; all memories are erased.  
“I would love to tell Jayce, and J.R. Jamie is getting stronger, but I don’t think it’ll matter. The longer this goes on, the more they struggle along with Crosshairs and Drift. We’re lucky everyone isn’t struggling as bad as they are,” Bulma sighs.

Three days have passed. Jayce’s recovery from Post Concision Syndrome is making taking care of her more of a challenge. As Crosshairs worried, without worrying about Jayce, J.R.’s nightmares have returned. Drift tries to help Crosshairs calm her down while Bumblebee watches Jayce, who isn’t dealing with nightmares... yet.  
With Jayce and J.R. still asleep, Crosshairs insists. Drift goes to see Jamie.  
“We can handle them for a few hours,” Crosshairs assures Drift.

Drift walks into the building and sees Bulma by Jamie. He thinks she’s taking care of Jamie until he watches Bulma do something with the ventilator.  
No, is she...? She can’t be, she said Jamie is strong enough not to flatline again. Jamie is recovering, so why is she...  
Drift is afraid to continue watching what Bulma is doing. He quietly leaves the building before running to the back of the building.  
I can’t believe Bulma would lie now, and about Jamie. I should have asked to stay, to stay goodbye.  
Drift lets himself cry, unaware Cade is watching.  
Damn, this is really getting to him. Cade worries as he watches Drift. 

“He’s here? Oh shit,” Bulma frets, “then he saw me touching the controls on the ventilator...”  
Tears roll down her face, hating how Drift thinks she turned off the ventilator.  
“You should talk to him,” Cade insists, “what were you doing, anyway?”  
“Lowering the amount of oxygen required, but just a little.”  
Finally, something good; come on, Jamie, you’re a strong fighter. Cade thinks as he sits by Jamie.  
Instead of going to talk to Drift, Bulma sat at the table.

An hour passes before Drift is in recharge. No one knows how much his spark aches. He forced himself to go into recharge to avoid seeing everything be erased in front of him.  
It displeases Cade Bulma did not talk to Drift before he slipped into recharge. Cade hasn’t seen any of the Autobots cry but has seen them have nightmares. Only a few times, but enough to know Drift is having one.  
Probably about watching Jamie disappear. You should have talked to him, Bulma.  
Cade doesn’t get far from Drift before seeing Bulma.  
“Is he ok?” Bulma asks, knowing something is wrong with Drift.  
“No, he’s having nightmares about Jamie disappearing,” Cade tells her, “I told you to talk to him. Now, look what he’s dealing with!!”  
Cade walks away, furious, while Bulma wonders if she can do anything.  
“I’ll take care of it,” she hears Crosshairs say.  
Instead of leaving the area, Bulma stands ten feet away from the two mechs, watching Crosshairs try to wake Drift up.  
Drift wakes up and immediately cries.  
“She’s gone,” he sobs, clearly unaware he was dreaming, “and we still remember everything.”  
Crosshairs hugs Drift close while trying to get him to calm down.  
What have I done? Bulma regrets not telling Drift Jamie isn’t dead sooner.  
“It’s ok, Drift, just a nightmare,” Crosshairs assures him, but Drift is having a hard time calming down, “come with me,” Crosshairs insists while getting Drift to stand up.

Crosshairs leads Drift into the building, thinking getting Drift to activate his holoform will be impossible.  
He made sure Drift is looking at Jamie.  
“She’s stable, and I’m able to decrease how much oxygen she’s getting,” Bulma explains. Though Bulma has just started decreasing how much oxygen Jamie is getting at a slow rate.   
Drift activates his holoform and cautiously walks to the bed, “she’s recovering, but slowly,” Bulma assures him before hugging him.  
Drift sits on a chair by the bed and holds Jamie’s hand. Crosshairs’ holoform sits on the other chair, putting a hand on Drift’s shoulder and his other hand on top of Drift’s.  
Damn, he’s falling apart; I worry he’s going to avoid Jayce and J.R., but Jayce needs his support. Crosshairs worries. Of course, things have to get more challenging with every piece of good news.


	44. A Little Progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even with continued good news about Jamie; everyone is hesitant to tell Jayce and J.R. who continue to struggle as before Jayce got a concision. Bumble and Hound get Crosshairs and Drift to go back to the junkyard; knowing they’ll like what Bulma has to tell them.

Three days have passed; nightmares and nocturnal panic attacks plague Jayce and J.R. The four mechs, two humans and Saiyan, fear the girls’ emotional pain would push them to consider suicide. The four bots can hear the pain as the two girls cry at night.  
Everyone agrees not to tell the girls anything about Jamie, even Jamie slowly requiring less oxygen support, and Bulma will attempt to wean Jamie off the ventilator. Everyone is happy and scared about this piece of progress. Drift has been dealing with nightmares after calming Jayce from her nocturnal panic attack, leaving Crosshairs amazed he’s not exhausted at this point.

Crosshairs planned on getting Drift to sleep for the day, but of course, Jayce is clingy. Crosshairs walks in, seeing Jayce’s tight hold on Drift as she cries. Crosshairs barely heard her beg Drift not to leave a few times.  
She’s like J.R., but more clingy. Crosshairs frets.  
Drift mouths for Crosshairs to go back to J.R. as there’s nothing he can do to help with Jayce.  
J.R. lies on the bed, facing the wall until Crosshairs picks her up and holds her while sitting on the nearby hair. She wraps her arms around his neck in a hug. Crosshairs worries she knows how much Jayce is struggling. Crosshairs realizes how much weight J.R. has lost. He suggests going to get lunch, but she refuses.  
On cue, Hound walks in with one of J.R.’s favorite snacks.  
“I know we should get them to eat proper food, but I figured this is a start,” Hound explains as Crosshairs takes the four cookies from Hound.  
Crosshairs watches J.R. take a cookie and eat it.  
Good, but I doubt this means you’ll eat food again. Crosshairs worries.  
Bulma returns to check on the girls, not liking what she’s seeing.  
Damn, I worry Jayce and J.R. are getting close to harming themselves. I know they are by not eating food, but at least there’s an easy solution to that to assure they’re not starving themselves. This doesn’t have an easy solution.  
Bulma returns to her lab and looks over the blood samples she’s been testing before going back to Cade’s dimension.

Even though Bulma says Jamie is doing better and shouldn’t flatline again — along with Cade seeing how much better Jamie’s vitals are — Cade still stays by Jamie for most of the day.  
Bulma doesn’t ask why he still sits by Jamie most of the day. She figured at this point, he just wants to be by Jamie. She doesn’t mind either.  
Bumblebee and Hound walk into the building a few minutes later and stand by Cade. Hound reads the monitor and asks Bulma about Jamie, unsure if she’d answer him.

Bumblebee and Hound return to discover Jayce and J.R. are asleep. Both insist Crosshairs and Drift go see Jamie as Jayce and J.R. nap. Both mechs are uncertain about this, believing the two girls would still panic even if they see Bumblebee and Hound.  
“You can get back here in seconds,” Hound argues.  
The two mechs agree to leave even though they’re still worried. Bumblebee and Hound smile at each other as Crosshairs and Drift walk down the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, but I couldn't figure out what to add and keep the cliffhanger.


	45. Good News and A Terrifying Event

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crosshairs and Drift worry what does Bulma have to tell them? They are happy it's good news about Jamie. The two mechs, Bumblebee, and Hound believe it's good to tell Jayce and J.R., but the girls have no reaction....or so they thought...

Crosshairs and Drift walk into the building; Bulma and Cade waiting for them. Crosshairs is a little worried while Drift is trying not to panic. Unsure if this is awkward or not, Crosshairs puts an arm around Drift’s back and walks with him towards Jamie.   
I’m a little worried about what we’re about to be told, but I feel Drift is terrified. Crosshairs thinks.  
Bulma takes Drift’s band and has him sit down, not thinking this is scaring him even more.  
“She’s getting better, look.”  
She points to the ventilator; the screen showing 80%. Sure, requiring 80% oxygen support is still high, but Jamie has been on 95% for the past thirty-nine days.  
Drift tries to be happy about this, but memories of seeing his girl flatline plagued his mind.  
“No, she’s past that hurdle,” Bulma assures him.  
I think you should be able to hold her in a couple of weeks. Bulma hopes as she watches Crosshairs and Drift sit by Jamie.  
With the way Jayce and J.R. have been, Crosshairs and Drift don’t dare stay away from the two girls for long. Both Bulma and Cade hating how the two mechs can’t even stay with Jamie for long. They know the two want to stay with Jamie.

Crosshairs and Drift talked about if they should tell the girls Jamie is making good improvements. They knew Bulma was letting them make the final decision.  
“I-I don’t know if it’ll help them,” Drift says in a sad tone.  
“It’ll either help or have no effect,” Crosshairs tells him.  
The two girls are still asleep. Crosshairs and Drift talk to Bumblebee and Hound about telling the girls about Jamie’s progress.  
Both share the same concern as Drift and agree with Crosshairs; the girls’ mental state can’t worsen from hearing good news.  
The girls had no reaction when being told the news. The four mechs aren’t sure what to think about the lack of reaction. Bumblebee and Hound take the girls to watch T.V.

Two hours pass before Crosshairs and Drift go where the others are as J.R. runs out of the room; Bumblebee and Hound following. Crosshairs follows them as Drift quickly texts Bulma to tell her to get here immediately before going into the room. By the looks of it, Jayce tried to stop J.R. Drift wonders why she didn’t run after J.R. as he listens to Jayce’s crying though muffled by the pillow as she lies on the couch.  
J.R. told her something before running out of the room, and it’s upsetting her. Drift worries as he moves Jayce onto his lap, feeling her tremble as she cries.   
J.R. is running as fast as she can to grab what she wants from the lab and open a portal.  
“STOP!!” Crosshairs yells.  
He manages to jump on her to stop her, shocked by how hard she’s fighting him.  
J.R. Throws him off her and opens a portal.  
“NO!!” Crosshairs yells as he watches J.R. run through the portal, and it closes behind her.  
“Hound! Did she hide where she went?”  
Hound works as fast as he can to find where J.R. went.  
“She hid where she went. How the hell can she do that, and quickly?” Hound frets as he tries to find where J.R. went.  
“I know where she went,” Crosshairs says in a sad tone.  
Hound immediately knows where Crosshairs is talking about and quickly opens a portal for Crosshairs.  
“We’ll find you if you’re not back in five minutes,” he tells Crosshairs as Crosshairs grabs a medkit.  
Fuck J.R., why now? Hound questions as he watches Crosshairs leave through the portal.  
“How the hell did she wait forty days? Why now?” Hound asks Bee as if he has the answers, “I hope as Jamie is getting better, we don’t have a seriously injured J.R. to worry about.”

Jayce sensed J.R.’s energy vanish; she knew it meant J.R. got away through a portal. She tightens her hold on Drift as she continues to cry.   
Fuck J.R., why now? Please get to her, Crosshairs. Jayce can’t handle it if J.R. is injured. Drift tries to stay calm for Jayce but worries things are going to get a lot more challenging.


	46. A Long Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crosshairs returns with J.R., who is at death’s door. Bulma is able to work quickly to stabilize J.R. It’s a long night for everyone; wondering if J.R. will be ok and helping Jayce, who is frightened she’s losing two of her friends.

Bulma walks through the portal, not liking she's too late to help keep J.R. from leaving. Bumblebee and Hound aren't sure if they should be relieved or worried Bulma is already looking to see if something is missing. Before preparing something, forcing herself to tell Bee and, Hound they'll have to wait for Crosshairs to come back with J.R. since they'd have a large area to search if they went to J.R.'a dimension.  
"All I can do is prepare for the worst," she tells them as a tear escapes her eye.   
Crosshairs was quick, but J.R.'s speed is impressive for a human.

They didn't have to wait long before a portal opens; Crosshairs appearing carrying J.R.  
The four of them rush to a medical room.  
J.R. appears out of it and trying to go to sleep. Her heart rate and breathing have already begun to slow down. Bulma was hoping she didn't have to put a breathing tube in, but she ultimately decides to.  
"You'll be ok," Crosshairs assures J.R. before she's asleep.  
I hope you'll be ok.  
Bulma can't believe how much J.R. injected.   
Bumblebee, Crosshairs, and Hound couldn't believe J.R. tried to end her life.  
"She waited to make sure Jayce was over post-concussion syndrome," Hound points out.  
"She wanted to make sure Jayce would be ok before she did this," Crosshairs says in a sad tone.  
The four of them worried about how Jayce is doing right now. Bulma tells the three mechs to help Drift. 

Bumblebee, Crosshairs, and Hound couldn't believe what Jayce went through before Drift gave in and used the relaxant drug.  
Drift feared he'd be told J.R. is gone with how upset Jayce was. Being told J.R. is close to death doesn't help him at all. 

All I can do is give her the reversal drug. Please let her be strong enough to get over this. Bulma watched the monitor, and while I.R.'s vitals weren't as bad as Jamie's, she still worries J.R. will die. 

Cade knew since Bulma has been gone for two hours that something serious happened to J.R.   
Why must anything good be met with something bad? 

Bulma returns twenty minutes later. Even though Bulma didn't say J.R. is dead, hearing what she did is still shocking to Cade. 

Crosshairs has been sitting by J.R. since Bulma left, even though J.R. will be unconscious until Bulma takes her off the ventilator.  
"I don't understand why you waited for Jayce to be over post-concussion syndrome or even thought about doing this after Drift, and I told you two Jamie is getting better."  
Crosshairs knew the two girls have been dealing with so much emotional pain, but still shocked J.R. tried to end her life. 

Crosshairs stays with J.R. for another hour until Hound texts him telling him Drift needs help with Jayce. He found it unusual Hound couldn't help but quickly realized Jayce must be calling for him. 

Crosshairs didn't think Jayce would run to him when he walks into the room. He picks her up and carries her to the bed, sitting next to Drift.  
I hate I can't tell her J.R. will be ok. Crosshairs regrets as Jayce hugs him and cries. The mechs try to get her to calm down for an hour before agreeing to use a sleep aid. Jayce tries to fight it but is unable to. 

"Unbelievable, we thought J.R. would harm himself, not try to end her life," Hound sighs.  
"Jayce is going to have a hard time with this," Drift frets.  
Hound tells Crosshairs and Drift to get some sleep since Jayce will be asleep all night. The two mechs go to another room as Hound tells Bee to also get some sleep. While Hound could do the same, he'd rather watch over Jayce, occasionally checking on J.R. 

Crosshairs struggles to get to sleep, worried Drift will have a nightmare after what happened today, and — while he won't admit it — he's afraid he'll have a nightmare himself. 

The two mechs get five hours of sleep before Crosshairs hears Drift crying in his sleep.  
Don't tell me this is going to be nightly or until he refuses to sleep. Crosshairs worries as he hugs Drift. Come on, Drift, you were strong for thirty-eight days. Your girl is getting stronger.   
Drift wakes up and hugs Crosshairs, who is starting to wonder if tonight's nightmare is about J.R. dying and how Jayce would be like without J.R. as she waits for Jamie to either wake-up or die.  
It's a long half-hour before Drift is back to sleep.  
Crosshairs checks on J.R. one last time even though Hound is sitting by her before going to

Drift is up and sitting by Jayce by eight in the morning. By now, the drug is beginning to wear off. Crosshairs walks in with good news.  
"J.R. has recovered from the overdose and is off the ventilator. She's still out of it. Hound os with her."  
"You better sit with her," Drift insists.  
Crosshairs insists he stay to help with Jayce, expecting her to have a frightening nightmare. Both mechs are relieved she's sleeping longer than how long the drug has been in her system. 

An hour passes before Jayce screams and sits up. Drift rushes to her; Jayce immediately hugs him and cries.  
I don't think she realizes it was a dream. Crosshairs frets. It's going to be hard to get her to focus on J.R.'s energy.  
"Should we show her J.R. is ok?" Drift asks.  
It seems like the right thing to do, but J.R. is still feeling out of it, and Jayce's crying isn't going to help.  
Crosshairs tries to tell Jayce J.R. is ok, but she can't hear him through her crying.  
Drift is able to lay with her. He tells Crosshairs he can go, but Crosshairs waits a long half-hour before Jayce is asleep. 

Bulma clears J.R. from any overdose consequences and knows Crosshairs will keep s close eye on her. She lets Crosshairs take J.R. to a private room. No instructions on whether or not to let the two girls see each other, but Crosshairs takes J.R. to a different room. 

Crosshairs sits in the bed, holding J.R. — who is still out of it and trying not to fall asleep.  
"I don't understand why you did it. You know how frightened Jayce was. How worried we all were."  
Crosshairs hugs J.R. before laying on the bed with her, hoping she doesn't have nightmares. 

"Both girls are asleep ready," Hound informs Bulma.  
"I'm not surprised; J.R. is still out of it from the drugs, and Jayce's depression makes her tired," Bulma explains, "and any good news doesn't make either of them happy."  
How bad are things going to be when Jamie wakes up? Bulma wonders.


End file.
